The period of the summer until the season start proved to be very exciting for Nordic Combined superstar Eric Frenzel: Not only did he get to test out the rule changes for Nordic Combined and compete in front of his home audience during the Summer Grand Prix but he also became a dad again when he and wife Laura welcomed their new son Leopold in October. TUESDAY TALK inquired about the new addition to the family, the challenges of the winter and the plans until everything breaks loose again in Ruka.

How were the first weeks with your little Leopold? You and your wife are probably nt getting a lot of sleep at the moment, right?

Eric Frenzel: The first weeks were really nice. We were super happy that the birth went without any complications and our Leopold fit into the family life right from the beginning. The nights were not so bad… we actually always got enough sleep. (smiles)

How are you handling the new family situation in this period of training? Did you cut back a little or is everything going as usual?

Frenzel: In the first time after the birth, of course I had to cut back a little on my training because I really wanted to have that experience at home. I had to take care of our older son Philipp more, like for example doing homework with him because Laura was obviously very busy caring for Leopold in the first days. When it comes to the winter, though, everything will be the same as in the past World Cup winters.

Let’s move over to the sports part of things. If we look at the World Cup statistics of the past years, you can see that the dominating athletes won three years in a row many times, like Kenji Ogiwara in the 90ies, Jason Lamy Chappuis and you. Judging after that, it would be somebody else’s time to win now. Who do you think will you have to face off against?

Frenzel: I also think that it will be a hard fight for the World Cup overall this year. We’re not having any championships, so everybody will be after that crystal globe. So I am of the opinion that there will be many different contenders.

In regards to the TRIPLE, you could also win it for the third time in a row this year. How important would such a feat be to „Mr. Seefeld“?

Frenzel: The victory at the TRIPLE in Seefeld is something special and so yes, it would be amazing to do it a third time in a row. But from my past experiences, I also know that you cannot make any mistake, otherwise the TRIPLE is gone. We have many athletes performing on a high level, we’re all quite closely together.

During the summer, two rule changes were tested: the new equipment control system with check-ups before the jump and the change in the metre value on the large hill. What do you think about these changes?

Frenzel: I am very positive about both changes. The new control system increases the equality of opportunities and fair play among the athletes. The changed metre value influences the relation between the jump and the cross-country part on the large hill in a positive way in my opinion.

Last question: it’s really not long until the season opener in Ruka anymore. What’s on your schedule until then?

Frenzel: We have two more preparatory training camps in Oberstdorf and Rovaniemi and then, it will be green light for the new season.

Source: fis-ski.com