After leaving the World Cup event in Ramsau am Dachstein posthaste with a helicopter last night to fly to Baden Baden, it was a close call but no cigar for Eric Frenzel. In the big televised award gala, he had to concede defeat to the European Champion in discus throwing, Robert Harting, at the prestigious „Sportler des Jahres“ award. The prize which is awarded by Germany’s sports journalists, is one of the biggest honours an athlete in Germany can achieve.

In the end, it was only 45 votes that Nordic Combined’s Olympic Champion and double overall World Cup winner Frenzel was missing. Harting won with 2100 votes, over Frenzel’s 2055. With 1467 votes, luge Olympic Champion Felix Loch claimed rank three.