Olympia 2022: ex-national coach after Althaus drama: “A scandal”

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Katharina Althaus, here in the individual competition at the Olympic Games in Zhangjiakou on Saturday (February 5, 2022), experienced real disqualification drama in the mixed competition.

The ski jumping drama about the German top flier Katharina Althaus (25) and other athletes at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing continues to make waves. With ex-national coach Andreas Bauer (58), the next prominent expert has now spoken plainly.

Bauer, who coached the German women from 2011 to 2021 as head coach, harshly criticized the World Ski Federation FIS. “It’s a disaster for our sport,” he told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” on Monday (February 7, 2022).

In the mixed competition At the Olympic Games, five jumpers were disqualified on Monday. The reason is said to have been a non-compliant suit. The German Olympic silver medalist in singles, Katharina Althaus (25), was also affected – although she competed in the same suit. In addition, all medal dreams burst for the Japanese Sara Takanashi (25), the Austrian Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (38) and the Norwegians Anna Odine Nor (23) and Silje Opseth (22). An absolute absurdity for farmers.

Ex-national coach criticizes world association after Olympic drama

Bauer – himself a member of the FIS Material Commission – explained: “This is a disaster for our sport.” The athletes were “virtually presented in front of an audience of millions”. “This is not how a sport should present itself on the world’s largest sporting stage. That was a scandal.”

Althaus also had after The world no longer understood the winter sports drama about her suit. In eleven years she has not been disqualified once. “I know my suit fit,” she said.

Copyright: www.imago-images.de

Andreas Bauer, here on February 27, 2019 in Seefeld, looked after the German ski jumpers from 2011 to 2021 as head coach.

But it didn’t help. Which is why tears naturally flowed after the bitter end. “Crowling in the finish area crying and completely upset – the athletes didn’t deserve such pictures. And neither does our sport. That was a huge loss of image,” explained Bauer. He therefore demanded: “If the measurement method is changed, teams and coaches must be informed beforehand. If I disqualify so many athletes at the Olympic Games and expose them to arbitrariness, then I didn’t do my job properly beforehand. Something like this must never happen again in the future.” (kos)