Olympia 2022 – Corona infections of Jarl Magnus Riiber and Eric Frenzel: Nordic combined threatens farce

On Thursday, the top favorite for Olympic gold in Nordic combined posted a picture of himself at the airport. The Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber looks into the camera, wearing a mask. In front of the 24-year-old, helpers in protective clothing handle corona samples.

“Not the start I was hoping for here in Beijing! Covid positive,” Frenzel posted on Instagram, who was apparently in a minibus on the way to the quarantine hotel in Zhangjiakou. Teammate Weber “did not have to be isolated because of his CT value,” as the German Ski Association announced.

Start of the combined threatens farce

In Riiber’s teammate Jörgen Graabak, a fifth athlete in the top ten is a contact person of Estonian Kristjan Ilves, who previously tested positive and who has also been on the podium twice this winter and is sixth in the World Cup.

The failure of the top favorite hit the Norwegian team particularly hard. “It’s my worst day as a coach. When we got the news, everyone collapsed,” admitted Ivar Stuan. With tears, the Scandinavian sports director added that the Olympic Games in Beijing could well be over for Riiber.

Riiber and Frenzel hope to return

“It’s brutal, I have to say. I spoke to Jarl, he took it the best,” reported the 63-year-old Norwegian sports director and regretted the loss of the silver medalist from Pyeongchang, who flew to Beijing with eight World Cup victories in his luggage was: “He’s a wonderful boy and he really did everything right. He was just unlucky.”

The focus is now on Riiber being able to take part in the individual competition and team competition. The three-time overall World Cup winner himself – like Frenzel – still believes in participating. The Norwegian wrote on Instagram: “I really hope that I don’t get any strong symptoms so that I can compete in the last two competitions.”

The 43-time World Cup winner Frenzel also hopes “for the best to get out of isolation here very soon,” as he announced on social media.

But it remains to be seen whether those who tested positive will survive their corona infection in time to start in the final combined competitions on February 15th and 17th. However, the disease alone is likely to set those affected back a long way in their preparation and fitness level.

“The first competition is over, unfortunately. Health clearly comes before a gold medal, I have to protect it,” said team doctor Stefan Pecher on Saturday. “Eric and Terence are still showing no symptoms. It’s difficult mentally, especially for Eric Frenzel. It hurts him that he had to go to the quarantine hotel,” said Pecher. On the other hand, he is in good spirits for the duo to play in the two large hill competitions in the second week.

Team doctor Wohlfahrt warns against a premature comeback

The European Handball Championship two weeks ago offered a warning example of a premature return to competitive sport. A corona outbreak in the German team also shook up the competition in Hungary and Slovakia.

In this respect, Germany’s team doctor, Bernd Wohlfahrt, was cautious about Frenzel’s and Weber’s participation in the games in Beijing. “The clinical course is very important. The playbook provides for a return to the team if special requirements are met,” explained the doctor and made it clear: “In the end, the following also applies: safety first.”

Riiber shoots against organizers

This means that national coach Hermann Weinbuch cannot fill all available starting places on Wednesday. Because team Olympic champions Fabian Rießle and Manuel Faißt are basically ready, but are not allowed to travel to Beijing too soon because of the necessary tests. In this respect, only Vinzenz Geiger, Johannes Rydzek and Julian Schmid from Oberstdorf will contest the competition over 10 kilometers on the normal hill.

This is one of the reasons why the gallows humor with which Riiber announced his failure towards his opponents on Thursday disappeared on Friday. Instead, the 24-year-old shot in the direction of the organizers after Frenzel and Weber failed.

“It’s just bad that the best are out with Corona. It’s a hopeless situation,” complained the Norwegian.

Geiger moves up in the circle of favorites

So hopeless that Riiber criticized the organizers for starting the competitions under these conditions. “Because there were so many infections before departure, they should have postponed the competitions to the end of the Olympic Games. It should have been canceled,” rumbled the 24-year-old.

But the competitions in Beijing start as planned. The first gold medal that Riiber – if you believe his post on Thursday – thought he was already hanging around his neck will be awarded on Wednesday. Just not on the Norwegian favorites. That much is certain.

Another German could benefit from the turmoil: The 24-year-old violinist, currently third in the overall World Cup and most recently victorious in Seefeld, is now a favorite in the Nordic combined competitions alongside the Austrian Johannes Lamparter, who is leading in the World Cup.

Or at least in the first decision.