Pia Fink (2nd from left) made the preliminary decision when she was able to counter the attack by Sweden’s Vice World Champion Frida Karlsson (right).
Photo: IMAGO / Eibner
»It works!« The sports director Andreas Schlütter commented dryly on the first World Cup medal for the German cross-country skiers in 14 years. The four silver relay women Katharina Hennig, Victoria Carl, Laura Gimmler and Pia Fink, on the other hand, alternated beaming faces with tears of happiness in the finish area of Planica. One year after the sensational silver medal for the relay at the Olympic Games in Beijing, the quartet confirmed that Germany has finally returned to the top of the cross-country skiing world.
“I am very, very happy – and very, very proud of the team. Achieving such a success as at the Olympics is one thing, but confirming it again is another,” explained the exceptional runner Hennig. Fourth in the skiathlon, the 26-year-old missed her first individual medal by a hair’s breadth, just like Victoria Carl/Laura Gimmler, who also finished fourth in the team sprint. But together in the relay, the previously clearly targeted medal coup was successful.
“You’re great” shouted Katharina Hennig’s parents and other German fans from the stands when the four athletes with the black, red and gold flags painted on their cheeks gave their silver medal. There was nothing to add to this assessment, because only the great cross-country skiing nation Norway was 20.8 seconds faster at the finish line. Bronze winners Sweden and Finland ended up beaten. The German cross-country skiing team was the last division to win precious metal at this World Cup. The ski jumpers (six medals) and combined (four medals) had already shone before.
“Silver shines like gold. When you look at the five-year history and see how things are progressing step by step, that makes you proud,” commented national coach Peter Schlickenrieder. After the Olympic silver win, to which the team sprint Olympic champions Hennig and Carl had already contributed, the team continued to develop. “Now the majority of the girls have already won medals and the others will strike in the next few years,” commented Schlickenrieder.
The head coach explicitly praised the work of the new women’s trainer Per Nilsson from the cross-country top country Sweden, who collectively brought the German women another step forward in the last few months. Together with ex-world champion Axel Teichmann as technical trainer, Hennig and Co. now have a duo that is technically absolutely world class and also leads the team perfectly on a personal level. The culture in German cross-country skiing has changed after many years without success: »Trust and openness are the basic requirements for being successful as a team. We have already taken many steps, but there is still a long successful path ahead of us.«
The performance in the relay race provided a small foretaste. After a strong starting lap by Laura Gimmler, top runner Hennig took over as fourth with contact to the top. Born in Saxony, she was even able to give Pia Fink a small lead after an outstanding round in the classic technique. When the Norwegian Ingvild Flugstad Østberg picked up the pace, Fink initially stayed behind the Swede Frida Karlsson. But then she sensationally left behind the two-time silver winner of this World Championship. Final runner Carl was no longer able to catch up with the Norwegians, but cleverly secured silver.
‘I especially didn’t want to overdo it. It’s amazing how our plan worked out,” commented Carl. Laura Gimmler found the success “crass”, Pia Fink announced a big silver party with “pizza and wine”. Hennig won’t be celebrating too long: “The World Championships aren’t over after all.” On Saturday her “main race” over 30 kilometers in the beloved classic technique is coming up and the German is one of the gold contenders in this form. “It’s my big dream to one day win an individual medal at a major event,” she says. Relay silver will give them even more impetus.
