Drama about combined athlete Eric Frenzel: quarantine, breakdown, silver

Olympics 2022
The cinematic drama about Nordic combiner Eric Frenzel: quarantine, collapse, silver

In between, you could almost lose faith in the medal guarantors. The German relay of the Nordic Combined did well in the cross-country sprint. Manuel Faißt started third after the jump, Julian Schmid held the position and handed over to Eric Frenzel, who had only ended an eleven-day corona quarantine two days earlier. But then the drama began. Frenzel couldn’t keep up with the top group from Norway, Austria and Japan, he had to let it slide. He lost around 25 seconds, almost an eternity, and only saved himself with all his might after five kilometers across the finish line, where he high-fived Vinzenz Geiger, the last runner.

Frenzel sank into the snow and lay there completely exhausted. He was so exhausted that he didn’t even register as Geiger closed the gap and secured the silver medal for the relay. The 33-year-old Frenzel also didn’t make it to the award ceremony and missed the moment on the podium. “Eric has exhausted himself completely,” said national coach Hermann Weinbuch on ARD after the team competition. “The Corona thing will probably have done the rest.”

Eric Frenzel recovers quickly

Frenzel was also hypothermic, but recovered quickly. “I just found out we took silver,” he said a few minutes after missing the ceremony. “I’m so happy.” It was a happy ending for him. He experienced most of the games in a few square meters in a Beijing hotel, isolated and equipped with an ergometer, on which he kept fit.

Only two days before the relay his CT value in the corona test was low enough for him to return to training. He passed an endurance test shortly before the start of the season and replaced Johannes Rydzek in the team. Whether the relay would have even won gold with Rydzek is idle speculation, the victorious Norwegians would not have been easy to beat. The gap between the Germans and gold was 54.9 seconds at the finish. For Weinbuch’s team it was the second medal at these Winter Games after Geiger’s Olympic victory in the individual competition on the normal hill. “They were perfect games for me,” said Geiger. “I’m over the moon with two medals in my bag.”

Everything is fine when jumping

Frenzel was still in good form when it came to jumping and jumped 132 meters. Only Geiger from the German team managed another set. But the burglary followed on the running track. “I’m glad the others fixed what I messed up,” he said.

Thanks to the good mood of his teammates, the record world champion has already won the seventh Olympic medal of his career. After the hard days of isolation, this should have a very special meaning, even if it didn’t go gold like once in 2014 and twice in 2018. Frenzel’s mother, who works as an educator, was excited about her work with the children.

tis / with DPA