The former ski racing driver Felix Neureuther sees room for improvement in German sports and advocates promoting even the little ones differently than before.
“With us in Germany you feel like you are at eight or nine years old, because you want to be very good very early. This thinking that the children can only be good later if they are good-that is not true in the form,” said the 41-year-old in the “Sportschau” interview. “That’s why I always say, please, dear parents or trainers, just let the children do several sports.”
According to Felix Neureuth, German model could be the Norwegians.
“They only have five million inhabitants. And they not only win in skiing. They win in the biathlon, in cross-country skiing, but also win in athletics, in the Golf, have one of the best footballers of this planet in Erling in Erling. What this small country has in a width of competitive athletes is incredible,” said the former team world champion.
Neureuther added: “There is a health culture overall, also in the way the children grow up there – in the kindergartens, in schools. They do not specialize so early for a sport, but are broadly positioned. They then decide at the age of 13.
Neureuther sees two German ski hopefuls
After all, in ski sports, Neureuther sees two possible hope for the future with the junior world champion Felix Rösle (descent) and Benno Brandis (Super-G).
“But you just have to give the boys time, it is not yet that the next year will be fully attacking,” said today’s TV expert.
Brandis in particular brings “a lot of potential,” praised Neureuther. “You have to promote him specifically and bring it up very quickly so that he can train with better ones.”
Ski Alpin: Hympia for Shooting star Aicher
Neureuther was also enthusiastic about shooting star Emma Aicher, who celebrated her first World Cup victory this season. “She loves skiing. She loves it. The joy that you can see while skiing, regardless of whether it is the short or long turns. Of course she is one that will give us a lot of fun in the future.”
Aicher also have to give time to develop further. “If someone can handle pressure, then she. You don’t have to feel the feeling that she influences or affects it. She pulls her thing through. That is also the nice thing about her, it cramps everything. She can handle printing situations extremely well.”