Thanks to his success, Eric Frenzel has earned the nickname “King of combined athletes”. Judging by the world championship medals, he is now also the regent of the Nordic World Ski Championships. By winning the silver medal in the team competition, he passed Norwegian cross-country skiing legend Björn Dählie and is now the most successful male medal collector in the global title fights.
Eric Frenzel happily hugged the final runner Julian Schmid together with his teammates Johannes Rydzek and Vinzenz Geiger. Behind Norway, the DSV quartet finished second in the men’s relay of Nordic combined on Wednesday (March 1st, 2023). So it was clear that Frenzel would be on the podium at a World Championships award ceremony for the 18th time.
It didn’t really want to arrive immediately after the race, Frenzel was still too busy with the race and the controversial decision. Almost a quarter of an hour after the award ceremony and numerous jubilant photos, things looked different. “That’s great“, he now says happily: “I never thought I’d reach that number.“Teammate Geiger adds that Frenzel”more World Championship medals than other World Championship starts” have: “This is unique.“
Frenzel pulls out everything that’s in him
The Saxon has now collected seven titles, eight silver medals and three bronze medals and has risen to become the sole record holder for men in terms of medals won. He had previously shared the top spot with Björn Dählie, who won 17 medals between 1991 and 1999. If you remove the gender segregation, however, Dählie’s compatriot Marit Björgen is almost uncatchable at the top with 26 medals.
“Even when I drew level with Dähli in Oberstdorf, it was a special honor. Having one more now makes me super proud“, so Frenzel, the Daehli as “Example” and “Legend“. In Planica he was the first of the DSV quartet to go out on the track and gave everything he had: “There isn’t much to think about, you just have to plan the race in such a way that you end up with the fastest possible running time that you can manage.“The route suited him and the material was “great”.
Tight decision on season start
The possibility of even being able to win a medal in Slovenia was preceded by a close decision in training. The practice jumps on Tuesday were rated as an internal elimination competition between Frenzel, Rydzek and Manuael Faißt. After adding the jump results and using the running statistics, Faißt was eliminated. 3.7 points separated Frenzel from the possible spectator role.
For Frenzel, the World Championships in the valley of the hills are the ninth in his successful career. In 2007 he was in Saporro (Japan) for the first time, now possibly for the last time. In addition to the numerous World Championship titles, he is a three-time Olympic champion and has celebrated 43 individual victories and five overall victories in the World Cup. But in recent years the gap to the top has been increasing. At the Winter Olympics in Beijing a year ago, he was in corona isolation for a long time and was unable to take part in the first competitions. He then pushed himself to the point of total exhaustion in the silver-winning relay.
How long will Frenzel keep fighting?
That’s what makes Frenzel that he always comes back after setbacks and never gives up. “He is a sportsman beyond compare“, attests national coach Hermann Weinbuch and gave his protégé the attributes “hard-working” and “modest“. Year after year, Frenzel has to fight his way back up to the others in preparation and “learn everything new“, says Weinbuch: “One can only congratulate him, not only on his medals but also on his personality.” Even if his active time is coming to an end, Frenzel is still passionate about it. “Sport is not just the sunny side of life“, the now 34-year-old Frenzel summarized his situation before the World Cup.
But will there be a tenth World Championship for Frenzel? He himself is covered, wants to concentrate on the here and now: “A competition is still here“. National coach Weinbuch rather believes that Frenzel is going into well-deserved retirement: “He’s been working with these thoughts for a long time. My feeling is that he has already made a decision.” Frenzel wants to talk to his wife and family first: “They should be the first to know.“But first Frenzel is allowed to climb the podium again at a World Cup award ceremony. For the 18th time – as regent of the Nordic World Ski Championships.