The top German snowboarder Ramona Hofmeister won the overall World Cup early. For the fourth time in her career, she grabbed the big crystal ball. In her sport.de column she gives insights into her emotional world.
Athletes are usually certain of victory when they cross finish lines or see the “one” light up in the stadium after waiting seconds. Sometimes, however, you have to wait and see what your competitors are doing until you know whether your own performance was enough to win medals, trophies and the laurel.
Sometimes, however, the momentum is there when training on a slope and you get the good news shouted through the snow and wind – that’s what happened for me this time.
After a season with good individual performances at the World Cups, I was already mentally heading into the final and we completed another course in Italy. Two outstanding home World Cups in Berchtesgaden and Winterberg should be used to expand, or at least defend, the position of the overall World Cup leaders.
In my dreams, I wanted to accept the overall World Cup at home in Berchtesgaden at the last races on Obersalzberg, in front of relatives, friends and acquaintances – a showdown in front of the peaks of the Hoher Göll and the Kehlstein.
Small wishes sometimes fall by the wayside, which doesn’t hurt if the big dreams come true.
The news between the training runs referred to the weather-related cancellation of the Berchtesgaden races; It included the realization that I could win the overall World Cup for the fourth time because the races in Winterberg would not be enough for the competition to catch up with me.
A little shout of joy to the sky, a subsequent training run with the best motivation and then I was already in the middle of a small improvised victory celebration with the team, without any feeling of competition and without spectators.
I am overjoyed and relieved: I have achieved the big goal I set myself of winning the big crystal ball again after a partially unsatisfactory season – the result of hard and conscientious preparation and the result of concentrated competitions.
Later I sit in the car feeling exhilarated and start the journey home to Berchtesgadener Land; The first phone calls from relatives and friends are coming in and it’s nice to find out that so many people have their fingers crossed for you.
The season goal has been achieved, but the season is not over yet; The World Cup in Winterberg will now be the season finale and I am happy that it is at least a German World Cup, at the end of which I will be honored as the best of the season. So, the party is going on in the Sauerland, which isn’t the worst for parties, but the celebration will definitely only take place after the last turn of the race, as there is still the possibility that in addition to a big and a small ball, I also have another small one Can take the ball in your luggage.
Then the triumph would be complete, then all the dams would break.
Best regards
Ramona Hofmeister