Amid cheers from her colleagues, Sofie Krehl (v.) saved relay silver from all the Scandinavian favourites.
Foto: imago images/ITAR-TASS
There was one who predicted this cross-country skiing sensation from Zhangjiakou even before the Winter Olympics. “I have a good feeling that something is happening that nobody has on the screen yet,” said Erik Schneider, the leading discipline coach for the German women, at the time. It was a splendid Olympic silver medal for his cross-country skiing relay after one of the most dramatic races in the history of the Olympic cross-country ski run and probably the biggest medal surprise so far from a German point of view at the Beijing Games. Finally, the German cross-country skiers won their first Olympic medal in eight years. Since then, they had often stayed far from such successes.
»I’ve never been so excited in my life and prayed that it would finally work out. It’s so deserved for the team because we’ve come close so many times. I feel gratitude. It was a long, hard road,” commented Katharina Hennig. The 25-year-old is the model athlete of a new generation of German runners. Over ten kilometers she had just missed bronze as a strong fifth – the best German Olympic individual result in 16 years – by 11.9 seconds. On Saturday, however, the time had come thanks to an incredibly strong performance by four German women and superbly prepared skis.
“We just had rockets on our feet,” explained Katherine Sauerbrey. The 24-year-old daughter of a former World Cup medalist in ski jumping showed a great starting round as an Olympic debutant: »Keeping cool is one of my strengths. I already knew the evening before that it would be really awesome.« After so many disappointments in the past few years, it actually did: Sauerbrey handed over to Hennig in second place, who even overtook the Russians who had been leading up to that point.
The three-time junior world champion Victoria Carl (26) defended the top position. Final runner Sofie Krehl (26) had to let the Russians go, but saved silver with her last ounce of strength from the otherwise overwhelming teams from Sweden, Finland and Norway. »The girls had given me a super starting position. And I’m so proud that somehow I made it to the finish line,” Krehl explained. The rest was cheers. “I have to pinch myself that we actually have silver. It was such a spectacular race. I’ll always have goosebumps when I look at it later,’ Carl was looking far ahead.
After the triumph, Team Germany’s press conference room was quickly converted into a party zone. At the special request of the four silver women, so that the technicians and trainers who were not accommodated in the Olympic Village could also celebrate the long-awaited success.
This team spirit is an important basis for the upturn in German cross-country skiing, which was also underlined by the men’s relay on Sunday with fifth place. After taking office four years ago, team boss Peter Schlickenrieder initiated a process of change that is now bearing fruit. The Olympic bronze medalist in 2002 relies on personal responsibility: “Athletes are increasingly taking matters into their own hands. You even take the financial risk to be successful and, for example, invested in travel expenses yourself during preparation in the summer.«
In addition, competence from earlier times of success – around the turn of the millennium Germany was one of the best cross-country skiing nations – contributes to the success. Former world champion Axel Teichmann and former overall World Cup winner Rene Sommerfeldt are now part of the coaching team. »Back then, the development of young talent was neglected. That’s why we’re now fighting for every single talent so that there is another cross-country Olympic champion from Germany,” hopes Schlickenrieder.
The last time was in 2002, when the German women’s relay sensationally won gold after Russia was banned from doping. It was the start of almost a decade of spectacular success for the German cross-country skiing specialists. Again, silver could usher in a new era. However, Victoria Carl and Co. do not want to put themselves under any pressure: »We are still young and are only now reaching the best age for cross-country skiing. And now we just want to enjoy the success.«
