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Imagine that it is a World Cup and nobody goes there. You could describe the situation before the ski flight championships in Planica like this or something. Training and qualifying begin on Thursday in the Slovenian ski jumping mecca, and as of Tuesday it was still unclear who from the once-successful Austrian world record team Stefan Kraft could participate. After all, the coronavirus hit the team in its entirety at the earliest possible moment in the season, thus throwing away all plans for the World Cup winter in general and the first climax in particular. .
Kraft, Michael Hayböck, Gregor Schlierenzauer and Philipp Aschenwald, as well as head coach Andreas Widhölzl tested positive immediately after the first World Cup weekend in Wisla (21/22 November), at the World Cup in Russia now there was more bad news in the form of corresponding results. Daniel Huber, Jan Hörl, Manuel Fettner and Thomas Lackner were added.
For the second competition on Sunday, the Austrian Ski Federation pulled the entire team out of the competition to be on the safe side. Will such a scenario also threaten the World Cup? Mario Stecher, sporting director for Nordic ski jumpers and cross-country athletes, declines: “I think we’re well positioned,” he says, but it sounds more optimistic than real medal hope. After all, after the most recent test, Huber of all people, the jumper who showed the most of his home team in the short winter, definitely has no chance of playing in the World Cup.
It is also best seen in Schlierenzauer, Kraft, Hayböck and Aschenwald. Meanwhile, they have given negative test results, another one before the trip to Planica is a prerequisite for entering the “Bubble” and being able to participate in the competitions. Schlierenzauer, who wrote about “high fever” after his positive test, feels ready in any case, feels “enormous relief” and “recurring energy.”
It remains to be seen how much the infection affected the substance. For now, in any case, one is relieved that the basic requirements to participate in the World Cup have been met. But this World Cup will definitely not be the same as ever, even if someone goes.(Art)
