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Klaus Sulzenbacher, Mario Stecher, Felix Gottwald, Bernhard Gruber and now the only 19-year-old Johannes Lamparter – after a glorious past, Austria’s Nordic team has a new superstar again this Thursday at the latest. The world championship title on the big hill at the World Championships in Oberstdorf is just the beginning of a great series for the Tyrolese. Already today in the team sprint (10 am / 3 pm, live on ORF 1), Lamparter and Lukas Greiderer can opt for the gold and bronze medals of the relay race in these championships.
ÖSV head coach Christoph Eugen is already very satisfied with what has been achieved. “What has often been criticized certainly helped him this time,” Eugen said, referring to the normal guy on the hill when Lamparter set the pace on the cross-country ski trail, but ultimately came seventh. “He ran there alone with the wind in front, he can go at that rate.” And the technician is convinced that more will come. “Johannes is now becoming more stable from one year of training to the next, and even better at running. If he stays healthy, I am convinced that they will not be his only medals.”
“It is not an easy sport”
For the combination in Austria, victories like Lamparters’, but also bronze in the team would mean a lot, as Eugen emphasized. “It is very important to us. We are a small and good group in Austria. We want to maintain the standard, the level.” With the successes would come the interest and attention of the media. Eugen: “That should depend on the children. It is not an easy sport. But it is an incredibly beautiful sport because you can train different elements.”
Styrian, 44, wanted to mention the entire support team around coaches Christoph Bieler and Jochen Strobl, as well as the service team. “It’s huge that we are so successful despite the failures and minor setbacks,” Eugen said, referring to the failure of Franz-Josef Rehrl, the resignation of Bernhard Gruber and the gradual approach of Mario Seidl in his return season.
And on Thursday they showed that Austrian combiners can also celebrate when they are happy. When he drank beer at the medal ceremony in the ÖSV district of Kleinwalsertal, Lamparter was not as routine as he was in cross-country skiing hours before, where he left favorite Jarl Magnus Riiber and company. It took the Tyrolean several tries before the beer flowed.
“It took me a while to fall asleep. There was a lot to process,” the world champion said yesterday. “But then it was a special feeling to wake up and see the world champion jersey in the box at night.”
