analysis
For some it’s a premiere, for others it’s the end of a long dry spell. The German skeletonists Christopher Grotheer and Tina Hermann took the crown in the overall World Cup in a thrilling season finale.
Exhausted but happy, Christopher Grotheer stuck his thumb in the air. “There it is! Greetings home”, said the newly crowned skeleton overall World Cup winner. Before the season finale in Sigulda, Latvia, he was more than 70 points behind his closest competitor Matt Weston. It was also the Brit who ended the day (once again) on top of the podium. Grotheer was third, but not a trace of disappointment. No one could take away his first overall World Cup triumph.
Grotheer gets the last piece of the puzzle
By winning the crystal globe, Grotheer not only ended a 23-year dry spell for the German men’s skeleton since Andy Böhme’s victory in 1999/2000, but also closed another gap in his already impressive career. In 2020 and 2021 he became world champion in Altenberg. In 2022 he won Olympic gold in Beijing. Now he has also proven that he can be the most consistent driver over several months. That this “right, really good“, Grotheer also emphasized after the race. “I’ve now won everything in the sport, everything I ever dreamed of. That was really my big goal this year.”
The pilot from Oberhof had to tremble again in the past few weeks. Weston was in fine form ahead of the season finale in Sigulda, having won four of the last five World Cups and also triumphed at the World Championships. In St. Moritz, after a completely screwed up first run, Grotheer ended up only in a disappointing ninth place. The anger was great: “I’m the reigning world champion and Olympic champion and I’m coming down here like a nasty amateur-“
Consistency is the key to success
Three weeks later, the World Cup frustration is finally forgotten. With third place in Sigulda, Grotheer saved his narrow lead to the finish. “That makes me very proud”, explained the 30-year-old Thuringian, who was on the podium in six of eight World Cup races this season. Exactly this consistency was also the key to success. Although Weston picked up significantly more wins, an 18th place in Park City in December cost the Brits valuable points in the battle for the crystal ball with Grotheer.
For national coach Christian Baude, the success of his protégé was only a matter of time. “We all wished for that after this World Cup, he has now achieved something historic. His mental strength has made him stand out in recent years. He believes in himself and he is a very complete driver.“
Hermann back at the top after five years
This mental strength was also demonstrated by Tina Hermann, who followed suit just a few hours after Grotheer’s triumph and secured the overall World Cup for the second time. Similar to Grotheer, the World Cup ended with a disappointing fifth place by their standards. She too had to tremble before the final in Sigulda, as her closest competitor, Kimberley Bos, was down to 27 points in the overall standings.
Tina Hermann was able to celebrate in Latvia.
Lucky at 118 km/h
But no sign of nervousness. Hermann drove the best time in the first run and then showed once again why she has been one of the strongest drivers for years. At the start she lagged behind in both rounds, but she played to her strengths in the ice channel: She drove the decisive corners best by far, picking up the pace and steered her 17th World Cup victory in a blink of an eye final against the British Laura Deas home. What was particularly impressive was her speed. She raced down the first run at 118.5 km/h. In the second run, too, she was right at the front with a top speed of 115.5 km/h.
Hermann defies worries after the World Cup
Victory in the overall World Cup is her second major triumph this year. In January she won European Championship gold for the first time in Altenberg, after “only” winning silver in Winterberg two years earlier. The success at the end of the season in the overall standings was anything but a matter of course. Because the disappointment at the World Cup had left its mark. “I was pretty exhausted after the World Cup and found it difficult to get back into it“, said Hermann after the race. “It has now gone perfectly again. Thank you to the whole team, it was a really good season.“
Next winter she will be the hunted again after five years in the role. Until then, Hermann wants to charge the batteries and clear his head, so “enjoy everything that I otherwise can’t do in winter“. With the crystal ball in her luggage, it shouldn’t be too difficult for her.