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Coach Eugen: “Sulzenbacher, Gottwald, Stecher, Gruber Category”: 19 years in just three seasons from World Cup debut to World Singles Championship title (by Thomas Blaschke / APA from Oberstdorf) – BILD
Winter sports in Austria appear to be very successful again. At the age of 19, Johannes Lamparter broke into the Nordic Combined World Championship title less than three weeks after winning the World Junior Championship gold on Thursday. Before there had only been one double title of this type, the Norwegian Trond Einar Elden had triumphed at Lahti in 1989 even before his 19th birthday. Lamparter turned 19 on November 8 and his first elite victory was worth gold.
For ÖSV head coach Christoph Eugen, Lamparter joins the ranks of the great Austrian teams with his triumph. “You can put it in a category of Klaus Sulzenbacher, Felix Gottwald, Mario Stecher, Bernhard Gruber – these are the great artists of Austria. It’s great that such a star has risen again.” Gruber had resigned a few days ago as Austria’s only individual world champion in the combination as of Thursday.
The Tyrolean only realized late in the race that Lamparter could follow him into his first world championships. “I didn’t realize it until I reached the home stretch. When you cross the finish line as world champion, of course it is incredible,” said the new champion. Lamparter entered the World Cup only two seasons ago, not two months later in the top ten for the first time and on the podium for the first time in the first race of the 2020/21 season.
The Rumer had come to ski jumping as a child through his cousin, the coach at Absam at the time was Andreas Felder. Lamparter stayed with him and he soon turned to cross-country skiing. The jumping speed and endurance required for cross-country skiing give the combination exactly the flavor for it. “The combination of both is attraction,” says the father of the family. And in no time, Lamparter confirmed that he was able to bring this combination of requirements to a common denominator.
At the end of January 2019, at just 17 years old, he won his first individual junior World Championship title in Lahti, as well as silver in the sprint and bronze with the team. Last year he followed up with individual silver and gold at the junior world championship level with the team, this year finally again in Lahti the total triumph. Number one on the hill and on the cross-country ski trail and, of course, also at the finish line. “It was important for me to finish my junior career well,” Lamparter said after winning another junior gold medal.
Of course, the team competition was skipped after that, as the focus was on Oberstdorf from then on. “That definitely helped him,” Eugen said when asked by the APA – Austrian Press Agency. “This year he gained exactly this experience that he needed here. Because to go there as a favorite (according to Lahti, note) – and everyone expected him to win – it certainly wasn’t without it. That’s exactly what he has now, but he had already had it for weeks. before, and that’s exactly what helped him today. “
In addition to the ÖSV team, Patrick Murnig looks after Lamparter. With his agency JumpandReach, the systemic coach has also helped shape other top-tier Austrian athletes such as Stefan Kraft, Michael Hayböck, Mario Seidl and Chiara Hölzl. In an interview, Murnig certified Lamparter’s enthusiasm, ambition and ability to let go of things that don’t seem so important to him. That gives Lamparter the most important balance.
The new world champion finds his balance in the family, but also in many social activities in his closest family environment. Music and Schuhplattler occupied an important part of his youth, and he also participates in the Rumer Muller carnival custom. His second sporting hobby was weight lifting, and Lamparter became the vice national under-17 champion. His sister Anna continues to represent the family in this line of business.
