Around the World
"Beyond all Expectations"
The expectation that the World Championships in Falun could turn into a great time for the German team were not far-fetched beforehand but what occurred in the two weeks in Sweden was certainly not what everybody was expecting. When team leader and Nordic Combined superstar Eric Frenzel was stopped from taking home his third consecutive overall World Cup win in Val di Fiemme by a disqualification due to a negligence on his part, there was no doubt that he was still on top of most favourite lists going into Falun 2015.
But it was not Eric Frenzel who emerged the beaming winner of the first competition and continued to medal in each Nordic Combined event, taking home a full set of two golds, one silver and one bronze medal, it was teammate Johannes Rydzek. While the 23-year-old is known as a strong skier and almost irresistible finisher, he had been struggling after his initial win at the beginning of the season. But as a prime example of being in top shape when it counts, Rydzek was suddenly there in the first competition, keeping the likes of Alessandro Pittin and Jason Lamy Chappuis as well as Eric Frenzel off his back, claiming his first individual title.
After this, Rydzek was on the roll: anchoring the German team in a perfectly executed team event competition to take the next gold, flying to the bronze rank in the individual event on the large hill (including beating Magnus Moan in a finish line sprint) and bringing home the silver medal in the final Team Sprint. Rydzek’s confidence and will to succeed had no bounds. With his four medals, he is one of the most successful athletes of the World Championships, sharing a third place with Rune Velta and beaten only by Therese Johaug and Petter Northug who both had more chances to medal than the German. With his performance, Rydzek has made one thing very clear: Germany has a new big name on the team!
Next to Rydzek, another honorary mention has to go out to France's Francois Braud who, quite unexpectedly, claimed a total of three medals for France in Falun: Bronze in the team event, silver in the individual on the large hill and a perfect gold medal in the last event, the Team Sprint, together with Jason Lamy Chappuis who was having a great Championship himself, claiming two bronzes and one gold. Braud’s stepping up into top contender status on the French team happened exactly at the right time as Jason Lamy Chappuis chose to end his career on a high note and announced his retirement immediately after taking the Team Sprint gold.
In true championship manner, there were more touching success stories to behold: Italy’s Alessandro Pittin finally breaking through his long dry spell to take a silver medal in the first individual event or a teary-eyed Bernhard Gruber receiving the first-ever individual Nordic Combined gold medal for Austria. Thank you, Falun, for these new chapters in the Nordic Combined history books and thank you for great emotional moments. The World Championships 2015 were truly „Beyond all expectitions“.
Source: fis-ski.com
But it was not Eric Frenzel who emerged the beaming winner of the first competition and continued to medal in each Nordic Combined event, taking home a full set of two golds, one silver and one bronze medal, it was teammate Johannes Rydzek. While the 23-year-old is known as a strong skier and almost irresistible finisher, he had been struggling after his initial win at the beginning of the season. But as a prime example of being in top shape when it counts, Rydzek was suddenly there in the first competition, keeping the likes of Alessandro Pittin and Jason Lamy Chappuis as well as Eric Frenzel off his back, claiming his first individual title.
After this, Rydzek was on the roll: anchoring the German team in a perfectly executed team event competition to take the next gold, flying to the bronze rank in the individual event on the large hill (including beating Magnus Moan in a finish line sprint) and bringing home the silver medal in the final Team Sprint. Rydzek’s confidence and will to succeed had no bounds. With his four medals, he is one of the most successful athletes of the World Championships, sharing a third place with Rune Velta and beaten only by Therese Johaug and Petter Northug who both had more chances to medal than the German. With his performance, Rydzek has made one thing very clear: Germany has a new big name on the team!
Next to Rydzek, another honorary mention has to go out to France's Francois Braud who, quite unexpectedly, claimed a total of three medals for France in Falun: Bronze in the team event, silver in the individual on the large hill and a perfect gold medal in the last event, the Team Sprint, together with Jason Lamy Chappuis who was having a great Championship himself, claiming two bronzes and one gold. Braud’s stepping up into top contender status on the French team happened exactly at the right time as Jason Lamy Chappuis chose to end his career on a high note and announced his retirement immediately after taking the Team Sprint gold.
In true championship manner, there were more touching success stories to behold: Italy’s Alessandro Pittin finally breaking through his long dry spell to take a silver medal in the first individual event or a teary-eyed Bernhard Gruber receiving the first-ever individual Nordic Combined gold medal for Austria. Thank you, Falun, for these new chapters in the Nordic Combined history books and thank you for great emotional moments. The World Championships 2015 were truly „Beyond all expectitions“.
Source: fis-ski.com
