Infectious shock: – Incomprehensible

The Norwegian ski jumpers had a spectacular Sunday in Nizhny Tagil, Russia. Halvor Egner Granerud won ahead of Robert Johansson and Marius Lindvik.

The Norwegian triple in an international jumping race has only happened twice before, in 1982 and 2018.

At the same time, the jubilee day in Russia had a dramatic background: before the race, four Austrian jumpers tested positive for covid-19. So did race director Sandro Pertile. They are not allowed to be on the charter flight with bridges flying from Russia to Ljubljana and Slovenia and dag.

Jump shock – five infected

The question is whether continuing with the competitions is justified. This weekend is the Planica Ski World Championship. Here, the race director, Pertile, will not be able to appear due to the isolation in which he must be. Last night it was unclear when he and the infected Austrians can leave Russia.

In cross-country skiing, Norway, Sweden and Finland have withdrawn from the World Cup until further notice.

– I think it is justified to continue. As long as we stick to each of our cohorts, it’s safe, Stöckl says by phone from Russia.

And for the record:

Both Hopp-Norge and the FIS International Ski Federation agree that the show jumping circus will continue.

But for the Austrians, the situation is simply dramatic. In connection with the opening of the World Cup in Wisla, Poland, four buyers from team A tested positive. The four were Stefan Kraft, Michael Hayböck, Gregor Schlierenzauer, and Philipp Aschenwald. The team’s two coaches, Andreas Widhölzl and Robert Treitinger, were also affected.

The latter was later fired for violating covid-19 rules.

The Austrians have sent the B team to the last two races of the World Cup. And on Sunday it narrowed again. The main Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung calls it a new “corona bomb”. Four of the jumpers from team B also tested positive. The four are Daniel Huber, Thomas Lackner, Manuel Fettner and Jan Hörl.

– How did the infection return to the Austrian squad?

– I don’t really understand where it comes from. It’s a bit incomprehensible and strange, Stöckl tells Dagbladet.

– I suppose they took him somehow. Is special. But as long as we manage to stay in each of our groups, I think it’s justifiable that we move on to Planica.

Sports director Clas Brede Bråthen followed Norway’s Jubilee Sunday from the living room of his home in Mjøndalen. On the explosive outbreak of corona among Austrians, he says:

– I respond with compassion. I hope they recover quickly and have no problem with the course of the disease.

– What could have made you hit so hard?

– I choose to use energy in what we do. But I sympathize with them. We have seen it in many other places: at least we must not start to despise those who become infected and sick. I hope that absolutely everyone affected by this understand.

– Is it justifiable to continue competing?

– We think about this every day. We play a risky sport and we must constantly consider whether what we do is justifiable, regardless of the crown. I’m going to talk to Alexander (Stöckl) in Russia.

– But, Bråthen continues:

– I see that there are a lot of infection control experts and doctors who have started talking. Or rather: People who have become experts without being. I think maybe they should be careful about that. I have not received any signals from my people in Russia that there is reason to make changes, except that we are constantly emphasizing personal infection control.

Jumping settlement: – Nonsense

Although several of the best jumpers from Austria and Poland did not participate, there are many reasons to be impressed by the Norwegian triple winner. Granerud landed at 135.5 meters and 124.5 meters.

– I do not know what to say. It’s absolutely fantastic, says Stöckl.

– There were demanding conditions throughout the competition. It was turbulent in the first part of the flight phase, but all of us on the podium managed to overcome it.

– The world shakes its head

Granerud leads the World Cup overall.

– I don’t have many more superlatives and flashy descriptions, says Bråthen.

– After the round we have had with economic cuts and layoffs – we have reduced the workforce by almost ten people – this is difficult to put into words, simply. Everyone who works for Norwegian jumping takes pride in being involved in this.

Bråthen says that the last time there was a Norwegian triple on the podium was in 1982 and 2018. He quickly realizes that only Ole Bremseth among men has been on top of the podium three times in a row in international races.

The Norwegians are coming to the World Ski Flight Championships in Planica in great shape. New corona tests await Monday. But for now, the world championship is going as planned.