With a few seconds behind the ski jumping, the German team of the Nordic Combined goes on the cross-country course. They fight their way and there is not much missing for the really big coup. World Championship silver is for the DSV quartet, the medal brings Eric Frenzel a record.
The German Nordic combined athletes won the silver medal in the team competition at the World Championships in Planica, Slovenia. With Eric Frenzel, Vinzenz Geiger, Johannes Rydzek and Julian Schmid, the team headed by national coach Hermann Weinbuch only had to admit defeat to the Norwegians, led by Jarl Magnus Riiber. In the end, nine seconds decided the title and silver.
However, the German team then lodged a protest against the rating. It was about a scene between Riiber and Schmid on the final lap. "It was very exciting. I don't like the last 400 meters," said national coach Hermann Weinbuch on ARD. The Norwegian anchor had prevented Schmid from overtaking him on the inside a few hundred meters from the finish. "It was on the verge of being unsportsmanlike and should be investigated." The protest was rejected shortly afterwards by the world association Fis, as reported by Weinbuch.
For anchor Riiber, who won alongside Espen Andersen, Jens Luuras Oftebro and Joergen Graabak, it was already the third gold medal at this World Championships after the normal hill individual and the mixed. Third place went to Austria with Johannes Lamparter, Martin Fritz, Lukas Greiderer and Stefan Rettenegger.
Olympic champion Frenzel got his 18th precious metal and is the only male record holder at world championships. He had previously shared the record with Norway's cross-country legend Björn Dählie. After the jump, the German team was 23 seconds behind Norway. Starting runner Frenzel caught up the gap and made the exciting race possible. In the end, Norway won thanks to Riiber.
Overall, it was the fourth medal in the fourth competition for the German combined team at the title fights in Slovenia. Previously, both Schmid in the men's singles and Nathalie Armbruster in the women's and the mixed relay had won silver.
