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Severin Freund: "Overall World Cup title is a career goal"
In our interview series "FIS Ski Jumping Talk" we present talks with ski jumping athletes and officials. Today: Severin Freund, ski flying World Champion and Gold medalist in the team competition at the Olympics in Sochi.
FIS Ski Jumping: Hello Severin, how were your training days in Oberstdorf?
Severin Freund: Everything worked well. On the first day it was a bit windy, on the final day we were worried about of the snow. But at the end everything went well.
FIS Ski Jumping: It's not even two weeks until the World Cup opening in Klingenthal. How is your shape?
Freund: It goes in the right direction. It's not yet how I would want it to be, but that's the way it mostly is in ski jumping. I hope that my shape will get better and better.
FIS Ski Jumping: How will you spend the remaining time until the start of the season? Do you have a few free days or is it all about training?
Freund: There will not really be free time, but it's not necessary, we already had that. We will try to jump again but we have to see how the weather will be and if this is possible. But it would be nice to keep the rhythm. Apart from that we will do athletic training and we are all looking forward to the start of the season.
FIS Ski Jumping: Last season was great, you won Gold with the team in Sochi and the ski flying World Championships. Did it now become easier for you or is there additional pressure?
Freund: It's a new season, everything starts at zero. What you achieved last season will always be a nice memory but still you can't take any points with you to this season. What helps are the experiences and the feeling you get out of it. This helps you on the way, but it doesn't give you any advantage.
FIS Ski Jumping: You say it helps you on the way. Where shall this way take you next season?
Freund: As high up as possible, of course. There will be major events again, but now, when no World Cup competition took place yet, it's too early to make any predictions anyway. But as I said: The feeling is good and now I'll have to wait and see what this year brings. My goal is of course to do better at the 4-Hills-Tournament than in the recent years. You do everything you can to get better, but you still can't predict anything. The same applies for the World Championships, where I want to win a medal. But many athletes will be in a good shape there and only three can make it in the end.
FIS Ski Jumping: Who will be the ones to look out for?
Freund: It will be like every year. There are the usual suspects and a few new faces. This won't change. I think that it always gets closer and closer at the top. But I can't think of any name that you can expect to outperform everybody else. It's still too early for that.
FIS Ski Jumping: You are one of the "usual suspects", and also some other German jumpers have the potential to be among the best. Is the overall World Cup something you think about?
Freund: Definitely. I already said before that I would like to win it. But it's more of a career goal. If you want to win it someday you have to set this goal for yourself. But you can't say that it shall happen this year, it is something that has to develop during the course of the season. You can show almost now weakness. There are more and more guys on our team who can be on top, that's why we are confident for the upcoming season.
FIS Ski Jumping: The season starts with a home event for the German team. What effect does this competition in Klingenthal have on the atmosphere within the team?
Freund: It's definitely really nice and it makes it easier when it comes to travelling and organization. Of course it's a lot of fun to jump in front of the home crowd in a full stadium. In Kuusamo it was different, but starting the season together with the cross country and nordic combined skiers in Scandinavia was nice as well. There it will really be winter for the first time. But of course it's nice and comfortable for us if you have the first World Cup at home. And we hope that it will be a really nice competition in Klingenthal this year, without any problems.
FIS Ski Jumping: It's not long until Christmas, so you can now name three wishes for the new season ...
Freund: Oh my gosh, three wishes? (laughs). Well, staying injury free, being in top shape at the 4-Hills-Tournament and not before and that I can say that I'm satisfied after the season.
FIS Ski Jumping: We wish you the same. All the best and thanks for the interview.
FIS Ski Jumping: Hello Severin, how were your training days in Oberstdorf?
Severin Freund: Everything worked well. On the first day it was a bit windy, on the final day we were worried about of the snow. But at the end everything went well.
FIS Ski Jumping: It's not even two weeks until the World Cup opening in Klingenthal. How is your shape?
Freund: It goes in the right direction. It's not yet how I would want it to be, but that's the way it mostly is in ski jumping. I hope that my shape will get better and better.
FIS Ski Jumping: How will you spend the remaining time until the start of the season? Do you have a few free days or is it all about training?
Freund: There will not really be free time, but it's not necessary, we already had that. We will try to jump again but we have to see how the weather will be and if this is possible. But it would be nice to keep the rhythm. Apart from that we will do athletic training and we are all looking forward to the start of the season.
FIS Ski Jumping: Last season was great, you won Gold with the team in Sochi and the ski flying World Championships. Did it now become easier for you or is there additional pressure?
Freund: It's a new season, everything starts at zero. What you achieved last season will always be a nice memory but still you can't take any points with you to this season. What helps are the experiences and the feeling you get out of it. This helps you on the way, but it doesn't give you any advantage.
FIS Ski Jumping: You say it helps you on the way. Where shall this way take you next season?
Freund: As high up as possible, of course. There will be major events again, but now, when no World Cup competition took place yet, it's too early to make any predictions anyway. But as I said: The feeling is good and now I'll have to wait and see what this year brings. My goal is of course to do better at the 4-Hills-Tournament than in the recent years. You do everything you can to get better, but you still can't predict anything. The same applies for the World Championships, where I want to win a medal. But many athletes will be in a good shape there and only three can make it in the end.
FIS Ski Jumping: Who will be the ones to look out for?
Freund: It will be like every year. There are the usual suspects and a few new faces. This won't change. I think that it always gets closer and closer at the top. But I can't think of any name that you can expect to outperform everybody else. It's still too early for that.
FIS Ski Jumping: You are one of the "usual suspects", and also some other German jumpers have the potential to be among the best. Is the overall World Cup something you think about?
Freund: Definitely. I already said before that I would like to win it. But it's more of a career goal. If you want to win it someday you have to set this goal for yourself. But you can't say that it shall happen this year, it is something that has to develop during the course of the season. You can show almost now weakness. There are more and more guys on our team who can be on top, that's why we are confident for the upcoming season.
FIS Ski Jumping: The season starts with a home event for the German team. What effect does this competition in Klingenthal have on the atmosphere within the team?
Freund: It's definitely really nice and it makes it easier when it comes to travelling and organization. Of course it's a lot of fun to jump in front of the home crowd in a full stadium. In Kuusamo it was different, but starting the season together with the cross country and nordic combined skiers in Scandinavia was nice as well. There it will really be winter for the first time. But of course it's nice and comfortable for us if you have the first World Cup at home. And we hope that it will be a really nice competition in Klingenthal this year, without any problems.
FIS Ski Jumping: It's not long until Christmas, so you can now name three wishes for the new season ...
Freund: Oh my gosh, three wishes? (laughs). Well, staying injury free, being in top shape at the 4-Hills-Tournament and not before and that I can say that I'm satisfied after the season.
FIS Ski Jumping: We wish you the same. All the best and thanks for the interview.
Source: fis-ski.com
