With the German dominance now spanning all of the first three World Cup weekend, it’s no wonder that the current Athlete of the Week comes from head coach Hermann Weinbuch’s squad, too. Meet 19-year-old Vinzenz Geiger who ascended from a promising youngster and Junior World Championship silver medalist to a World Cup podium athlete and the current number seven in the overall standings in the course of four weeks.

Geiger, who hails from Oberstdorf and starts for the same ski club as World Champion Johannes Rydzek, had a great opening weekend in Ruka with ranks eleven and seven but probably not everybody expected he was around to stay. Jumping on a steady high level and great performances on the track earned him another seventh place in Lillehammer but it was Ramsau am Dachstein where he truly left his mark. Not only did he complete the German quadruple win (the first since 1987!) with rank four on Saturday, he also claimed his first-ever World Cup podium with the third place in Sunday, another full podium sweep for the German team.

„I like it so much here in Ramsau, first fourth and now third, that’s definitely something to show for. Both days went perfectly, I really can’t say more“, Geiger commented his triumph in his quiet and still a little shy way, showing that all of this is still new for him. New, as for example also the victory ceremony. Geiger, perplexed by the little girl that was supposed to lead the athletes behind the podium and went the wrong way, followed her behind the ceremony back wall at first, only to be rescued by ceremony veteran and teammate Eric Frenzel to the amusement of the spectators present and on the TV screens.

But with a performance level like Geiger was showing, we have no doubt that the new German shooting star will get used to the hustle and bustle around podium athletes really soon. In 2017, he should definitely to be on everybody's list of athletes to watch.

Source: fis-ski.com