#team fab

Gerd Siegmund: Are you already a member of the ski club?

AW: They offered me yesterday and I told them we still have to talk about the details. But I think I rather stay in Upper Bavaria.

GS:  Peter will do that, Peter Knoll, your manager.

DT: But therefor I’m a member here. Everything’s fine.

AW: Yes, that’s enough.

DT: Yesterday you won the qualification with a perfect jump. One year ago you also won the team competition. So you can’t say you don’t like the hill.

AW: You could say that. It’s a really cool hill, the biggest large hill of the world. It’s fun to jump in front of that backdrop. But yesterday’s jump was not completely perfect yet.

DT: Is there even something like a “perfect jump”? Have you already had one?

AW: Probably not. There’s always something you could do better and so also yesterday was still room for improvement. But all in all I trained well and did a good jump and it’s really nice if I can win the qualification with such a jump, but now I have to look forward to today’s and tomorrow’s competitions.

DT: And you’ll just take the 2000€ along. You actually do not need it, because you’re already a wealthy man.

AW: How do you want to know that?

DT: According to all accounts. They say sponsoring works well… that they chase after you. For example Milka, you’re the successor of Martin Schmitt.

AW: But that’s just that I don’t get too thin, that I get something to eat.

DT: Ah, some bars of chocolate as reserve.

AT: If I remember correctly you also got something from them, right?

DT: From Milka? I got two bars from you. Active corruption!

GS: Two bars? Probably two kilos?

DT: No, two normal sized bars, not even the big ones.

GS: Sometimes you should be pleased with the little things, Mr Thiele.

DT: Welli, so please do not distract. We were at the topic Martin Schmitt and there were rumors about his own bed linen. That’s not possible, is it?

GS: He had his own collection at that time.

DT: And you were sleeping (...in it??? He is like the worst interviewer ever)

AW: Yeah, I was sleeping in my bed, that’s correct. Could be possible that I wore nappies back then… nah, it’s not that long ago… but I have heard something about that, but I don’t know if it’s true.

DT: But there is connection between both of you in sponsoring. Martin Schmitt got sponsored by Milka and then they thought “Andreas Wellinger, a nice guy, very popular with the girls, who also eat some chocolate from time to time…” Did they tell you why they’ve chosen you?

AW: If you say so, it must be that way… Well no, my career started very well and fast. I consider it an honour to represent that color and label. They support winter sports since a very long time and I’m happy every day I can wear the helmet or hat and ski jumping becomes more fun then.

DT: But eating all the chocolate is not that easy considering your weight?

AW: No, I don’t have any problems at all. I got good genes from my dad. If I’m hungry for a schnitzel, I eat one and if I’m not, I don’t.

DT: So you’re a bad food processor?

AW: No, a good one.

DT: A bad one!

AW: A good one. What I take in, gets processed well.

DT: But if you can eat all that stuff, not all of the calories get used.

AW: We could ask the expert.

GS: The Nutritionist? Well, of course he is a good food processor.

AW: 2:1

DT: People, send the employment agency…

GS: Change of subject maybe?

And the discussion goes on... 

AW: Just admit that he is correct.

GS: I did so on TV for 13 years and had my peace. (They we’re both German Eurosport commentators for years.)

AW: 13 years?

DT: So you wanna continue without me? If you go on that way, we’re gonna talk about Nordic combined and skiing.

AW: With pleasure. I still don’t want to ski.

DT:  I thought so.

GS: Ski fast.

AW: I like doing it as a hobby in my free time, but not in a professional way. It was never my thing.

DT: So let’s be serious. Why did you start as a Nordic combined athlete?

AW: That’s just the typical way. Everyone starts there, learns the basics, so you’re not focused on a special thing from the beginning and I think that’s good, because you can try different things then. Then it develops individually, one is better at jumping, one better at skiing and everyone goes his or her way.

DT: Are you still interested in what the combined athletes are doing?

AW: Of course!

DT: They are too successful, I think.

AW: Yeah, the results are the same eventually which is not the best for the sport in the end.

DT: That’s why you don’t win everything, right?

AW: Pretty much… Last week I watched the race and that was a good promotion for the sport. When there are 20 athletes within 10 seconds during the last round. Things were really happening there. That’s really fun to watch.

DT: So your heart is still beating for Nordic combined?

GS: That’s the general interest in sports. Many athletes watch other sports. The football player who is interested in winter sports or just the other way around: like you as a passionate FCB fan. Every professional athlete has interests in other disciplines. Unfortunately you meet rarely to talk.

AW: Yeah, you know how much hard work it is to achieve such results.

DT: So we were talking about the “perfect jump” which actually does not really exist. Are there still ups and downs or did you put them ad acta after Bischofshofen?

AW: There are always variations because it’s just a very sensible sport and the power density is high. But I think they reduce and I’m on a steadier level now.

DT: How did it affect you to win the qualification and not reach the second round then?

AW: It shows how close it is between victory and loss in this sport. One day it was an amazing experience, also with the hill record which lasted about 11 years I think - and on the next day it’s just the opposite. There were a few factors coming together: shorter inrun, tail wind and then you get that result and are in a bad mood. But the next day it goes on, I try to look forward and work on.

DT: On the surface you seem to have a cheerful disposition and I have the impression you just consider it as over and are done with it.

AW: On the inside as well.

GS: It doesn’t always have to be so complicated. But what do you think about asking the FIS to start the world cup like about two weeks earlier? Then the shape of the German team, especially of you and Richard Freitag, would have been to the point for 4HT.

AW: If you look at this season, it would have probably worked out. Basically you could do this. I mean it’s cool to see the dedication of the people in Klingenthal, how they drudge to get the hill ready. But in my opinion you could also go somewhere, where snow and good conditions already are at that time. So we’re back at the topic North America. We will be allowed to go there with Ironwood next year…

GS: But Ironwood is a ski flying hill.

AW: Exactly.

GS: I mean it could be interesting to start the season with ski flying...

DT: I think it got rebuilt.

GS: Yes, it was already a big one.

AW: It’s a surprise how it’s gonna be. Basically there are the opportunities in North America to start the season earlier. Why they don’t use it…

GS: I think this a financial problem. Apart from that it’s famous, like the Olympic games of 2002 in Salt Lake City. Because of the time shift it would be a reasonable thing. You jump in the morning and we watch it in the evening. People were already discussing about that. But what I was talking about was your shape and to start two weeks earlier because of that. You could also train two weeks earlier, but who knows that?

AW: If you could wish it that way, it would be easy. But it’s not always easy to time to the point. The positive side is there is an upward trend.

DT: Let me chase this up. We asked Richard Freitag the same question. Are you able to calculate how to build up your shape in ski jumping?

AW: No, this is not possible. Of course you aim it and try to prepare for such events and it probably works in many cases. But you cannot certainly say “I’m gonna jump best in three weeks if I stay at home for two weekends to train.” That won’t work.

DT: There are automated motion sequences in ski jumping. But it doesn’t work automatically, there is tail wind, up wind, there are too many concomitants that disturb automatisms. You have to accommodate to this. Does that work in every competition, that you factor all that in?

AW:  No, because we don’t know it anyway. When you have a competition like Wisla where conditions change so fast and you stand on top of the hill, you don’t if there is tail wind or up wind as an athlete. You have to do your jump and if you do a good one it will work with both conditions.

DT: So it’s the same technique, you don’t change anything like an angle or something?

AW: I do not know if nations like Slovenia with a more extreme jumping style knowingly change something. But I don’t.

GS: So you changed your material in summer like some other athletes, too, which is pretty common to test things. But I remember that statement after your crash in Kuusamo about intensifying the edge of the ski. Did you take this back in the current season?

AW: Of course you try to keep the skis flat to get more inflow and feedback of the ski, but the change from flat ski to more edge was unknowing. It’s a process that develops if you change the jump, your body’s forces and the athletic. These are all unconscious concomitant effects with the goal to jump better.

GS: So you keep the skis flatter now?

AW: It’s not that easy, but I try to. It just takes about several 100 jumps.

DT: Andreas Wellinger and publicity, the girls. Here in Willingen it’s much more pronounced. You’re coming from training and walk by the crowd and don’t want to disappoint anyone. It’s a balancing act. You also need the time to focus on the next jump.

AW:  Yes, like yesterday. After the first training you don’t just want to walk by. These fans are waiting there for hours. This is also the great feeling, when you’re sitting above and see all those people. But down there is always not enough time to stop, give autographs and take pictures. So yesterday’s team presentation was really cool. We went down there again afterwards and had more time.

DT: So I heard your postman already has a crooked back if he comes to you because there is so much fan mail. Can you still manage this?

AW: I can manage it, I also get help.

DT: You have employees.

AW: No employees, my family helps me. That’s also a work you really like to do. There are lots of nice letters, like drawings from little kids where you just smile when opening the letter.

DT: Do you want to talk about your private life?

AW: Nope.

DT: You’re taken?

AW: (shrugs). I’m happy with my situation.

DT: What a rascal…

GS: “Wanna talk about your private life?” “No” “But how is your girlfriend?” (laughs)

DT: So now you can imagine how his private life looks like. So he’s happy… And we want that you stay happy, because there is probably a correlation. If everything’s fine in private, there are no worries, then this affects the jumping, too, or is this unimportant?

AW: I think if you have or had stress at home, you unknowingly take it to the competition and are distracted. But family and support from home are very important, so you have a balance between tension and relaxation.

DT: Is there a hierarchy in the team? Unfortunately Severin Freund is hurt and this will take its time. You just say no until I finished the question. So Richard Freitag and you don’t set yourself apart from the rest?

AW: No. Maybe from the outside you might think there is a gradation or hierarchy according our performance, but that doesn’t exist. We have a great team, a good atmosphere, everybody tries to give his best. We spend so much time together during the year, that we need to have fun together and enjoy the time. So I can just say it’s cool to be around with that team.

DT: You share your room with someone who is quite shy...

AW: Depends. Our native… (=Stephan). Basically he is calm and modest. That makes it comfortable, because you can relax and it’s fun.

MO:      You can definitely do so. Andreas Wellinger, 2nd place. Do you know how often you were on the podium during this season?

AW:       Uhm, a few times…

DT:         I know it, I know it: 7 times.

MO:      Here we have the living encyclopedia.

AW:       That’s actually his job to know that. (laughs)

MO:      I always tell him that, too, but you should appreciate that he is also able to retrieve this knowledge. That’s an achievement just like yours. How do you feel now as one of the favorites for the world championships?

AW:       First there is another competition tomorrow.

MO:       Nah, do not avoid.

AW:      One by one. I’m happy with my 2nd jump. But at the moment Stefan is just better. I will focus on tomorrow’s competition and then on the world championships. The shape is good; the odds are in my favor, too and with a bit luck we’ll see what happens.

MO:       Back to Stefan Kraft: are you able to beat him? Does he have any weak points? I mean at the moment you hardly have any, too. You like to say there is still some room for improvement. Where is that, your personal room for improvement?

AW:      I think it’s the flight. Stefan has a better glide ankle. You can see that on the large hill or especially on the flying hills. He’s flatter, but therefor he’s also faster and so he collects the meters below. I might do a stronger jump but don’t have so much speed. So I have to try to get better into flying and tickle out the last 2, 3, 4 meters.

MO:       Karl Geiger, how is it to have a new locomotive in the team? How does that benefit the team?

KG:       That’s great. We already knew at the beginning of the season that Severin would not be in his best shape or let’s say after four hills tournament when he dropped out. It’s cool that now there is someone on top again. This motivates us, too. We know everything is possible. So we’re gonna work on that we can tease him (Andi) a little.

MO:      That’s right. Always press forward. Dieter, what do you think about our final rehearsal before the world championships so far?

DT:        Awesome! I mean 4 athletes in top 11 and Markus Eisenbichler and Severin Freund didn’t even compete.

MO:       Richard Freitag is like jumping with only one leg because he’s so sick and it’s still almost enough for top 10.

DT:        Yeah, improved from 25 to 11. That’s incredible and you can just congratulate him. It’s fun to watch you and I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s competition.

MO:      Absolutely. Now it’s time for the victory ceremony. (Karl and Andreas are leaving). We want to talk to Werner Schuster now.

IP:          Werner, earlier we heard words like “it’s a pleasure to watch”, “dream result for DSV”. What do you think about this competition?

WS:        To be honest I’m very pleased with the team performance. You couldn’t expect that. We all know Andi jumps well but it was vague how close to the top the others would get and they all jumped pretty well. I’m especially glad about Stephan Leyhe. We did everything properly. He needed that break and came back freshly today. He is very precious because we need every single man for the world championships.

IP:          You both didn’t go to Sapporo and came here together. Did you put him in the right mood on the airplane or what have you done?