Despite a lot of trouble, the German team wins the silver medal at the world championship premiere of the mixed competition in Nordic combined. Vinzenz Geiger, Jenny Nowak, Nathalie Armbruster and Julian Schmid only had to admit defeat to the outstanding quartet from Norway in Planica, Slovenia.
Vinzenz Geiger proudly hugged the student Nathalie Armbruster. Not enthusiastically, but relaxed, the German combined athletes celebrated their next World Championships medal. At the end of a very successful first week of the World Championships in Planica, the German team was delighted with the silver medal at the World Championships premiere of the mixed competition in Nordic combined. Only the extremely dominant Norwegians were again stronger than the best German all-rounders in ski jumping and cross-country skiing.
"I'm really happy to be there at a premiere and win a silver medal right away," said the very happy Olympic champion Geiger on ZDF. "It was a successful premiere, it was really fun." With three silver medals, the German combination team has already collected more medals than at the home World Championships in Oberstdorf two years ago. Geiger, Jenny Nowak, Armbruster and Julian Schmid secured second place ahead of Austria in the decisive cross-country race. Sunday had started anything but perfect.
In stark contrast to the joy of second place, there was a lot of resentment in the morning. Men's national coach Hermann Weinbuch criticized heavily after Italy's Alessandro Pittin and Japan's Akito Watabe fell in ski jumping and the competition was abandoned. "It was very dangerous, grossly negligent. Something like that shouldn't happen at the World Cup," said the 62-year-old. The problem was that the landing slope was too soft and had obviously not been properly prepared after heavy snowfall during the night.
"Unfortunately, the homework has not been done," said Weinbuch. The competition was repeated more than an hour late, and the German quartet got a good starting position with third place. In the cross-country race, starting runner Geiger brought the team into second place with an energetic performance. His colleagues and Schmid confidently defended their position. Behind the almost unbeatable Norwegians, who with their top players Gyda Westvold Hansen and Jarl Magnus Riiber have swept away all three previously awarded World Championship titles, Germany is the second strongest combined nation in these title fights. "We did an excellent tactical job on the cross-country ski trail," Weinbuch praised his protégés, who also included Olympic champions Vinzenz Geiger and Jenny Nowak on Sunday, after their silver coup: "Vinz did an excellent race, the girls countered it brilliantly, Julian was tactically outstanding."
Schoolgirl Armbruster left a powerful impression in just a few days at the World Cup - sporty and outside of the competitions. The 17-year-old appears in Planica with a mixture of youthful ease and adult serenity. Award ceremonies, media appointments in German or English, she does all this at her first World Championships and in her first real World Cup season like a very experienced professional. "It means a lot to all of us: Vice world champion in the mixed team premiere - that's super cool," said Armbruster. For them, the chasing of deadlines continues - but neither on the ski jump nor in the cross-country ski run. The eleventh grader is traveling to Berlin on a study trip this Monday.
Their male colleagues, on the other hand, still have big plans in the Valley of the Schanzen. Two more titles will be awarded in the second week of the World Cup. Schmid is also one of the medal candidates on the large hill. The 23-year-old won silver in the normal hill individual in his first World Championship race of his career on Saturday. "It's the highlight of the season. It's a special moment to be on the podium on day X," said Schmid about his greatest career success to date, which was followed by another medal.
Meanwhile, the combined athletes are still fighting for appropriate equality. Last June, the Executive of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) denied them inclusion in the program of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo - despite all alleged efforts in the sense of gender equality. For the men, the team competition on the large hill continues on Wednesday (11 a.m. jumping/3.10 p.m. cross-country skiing/ARD and Eurosport). For the combined athletes, on the other hand, the World Championships come to an end with the mixed competition - to the regret of their teammates. "Then it gets boring when we're just among ourselves," said Geiger.
