Gold again! The German women inspire in Planica
team gold! Katharina Althaus (2nd from right) cheers after her last jump with her teammates
Those: AP/Darko Bandic
The German athletes transform the Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica into a festival. After gold and silver, they are now upping the ante with their second title: Victory in the team competition for women ski jumpers. After that, Nordic combiner Julian Schmid won silver.
Eit was a game of nerves. Katharina Althaus was already sitting on the take-off board at Planica, ready for her second jump in the team competition at the World Championships. At the same time it was the last jump of the competition – it was about gold, led by German women. Then the wind moved in – Althaus had to get up, step aside, wait. And keep waiting.
Minutes passed before she was allowed into the inrun track. Her teammates had gathered at the bottom of the outlet and looked up excitedly. And Althaus, the two-time Olympic silver medalist and world champion, kept his nerve. With a first-class jump, the woman from Oberstdorf secured the world championship title for the German team. “I’m so proud of us,” said Luisa Görlich, and Anna Rupprecht added: “We were all damn nervous, but we kept our nerves.”
Althaus, Rupprecht, Görlich and Selina Freitag won ahead of the Austrians and Norwegians and gave the German team its third medal on the third day of competition at this World Championships. Shortly thereafter, a young combined athlete took silver: Julian Schmid (23) was only beaten by Jarl Magnus Riiber, the dominator from Norway.
Althaus, a 17-year-old student – and almost Hennig as well
For Althaus, two days after her individual victory, it is already her second gold in these title fights. On Friday, Nathalie Armbruster, who was just 17, sensationally won silver in the Nordic combined.
This Saturday, the German ski jumpers laid the foundation for their success in the first round. After one jump each, Althaus, Rupprecht, Görlich and Freitag were leading just ahead of Norway and were on course for gold. The third-placed Austrians, Slovenia and Japan were not far behind in a close competition. “Congratulations to the girls” said national coach Maximilian Mechler on ZDF when the victory was certain. “I’m just happy and exhausted.”
Katharina Althaus with her gold medal – now there is one more
Source: dpa/Daniel Karmann
Just an hour later, the cross-country skiers started the 15-kilometer race – and team sprint Olympic champion Katharina Hennig almost contributed medal number four for the German team. In the end, however, she also celebrated fourth place – for good reason. “I went into this World Cup with a very insecure feeling, I had no idea where I stood,” said Hennig at the finish. Although she won her first World Cup race this season, she also had to take three breaks due to illness. She didn’t feel in top shape again in the World Championship race. That’s why she emphasized again: “I’m very, very happy ..”
Schmid celebrates silver – next chance: Sunday
Then it was time for the combined 10km race. Bronze, yes silver seemed possible for Julian Schmid, but gold? Riiber was too far ahead for that after ski jumping. Schmid started the final run in third place, 25 seconds behind the Norwegian.
Also 25 seconds ahead of Schmid: the not so strong Japanese Ryota Yamamoto. A trio quickly formed in Schmid, the Japanese who had fallen behind and the Austrian Franz-Josef Rehrl, but the gap to Riiber remained more than 30 seconds for a long time. The trio became a duo – a duel for silver between Schmid and Rehrl, which the man from Oberstdorf won through a spirited fight.
This Sunday (10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.) the Mixed World Championships are on the program for the first time, with two men and two women starting.
