Karl Geiger praises ski jumpers‘ resilience after strong WM start

Karl Geiger feels validated following the impressive start of the German ski jumpers at the World Championships. „I mentioned a few weeks ago, when we were really under fire: Don’t write us off! That should never be done,“ said the 32-year-old in Trondheim. „We know that we have incredible quality in the team.“

In the first competition of the jumpers at the championship in Norway, teammate Andreas Wellinger surprisingly won the silver medal on the normal hill. Geiger himself finished in fourth place. The team, coached by Stefan Horngacher, had previously struggled in the World Cup, waiting since mid-December for a podium finish. Now, the joy over the success is even greater.

Geiger defended the coach amidst harsh criticism. „It’s not easy,“ he said after difficult weeks filled with tough feedback. „We tried to stay focused and keep our composure. When you’re getting hit from all sides, it’s not simple. Today is an important day; we have been rewarded.“ The Oberstdorfer also praised the coach and his assistants: „I have to defend the coaches. They are doing very, very good work.“

Geiger is now looking forward to the upcoming events on the large hill. „Of course, we can now approach that with confidence,“ he said. „No one can take the medal away from us – there are three more to be won on the large hill.“