Olympics 2022 – Nordic Combined: Eric Frenzel in good health after collapse

After his nasty collapse, Eric Frenzel was still completely exhausted at the team doctor’s when his three teammates climbed onto the podium with restrained joy and great concern.

“Now I’m fine again, I had a very bad time on the track. I haven’t had a race like this for a long time,” said Frenzel, whose place on the podium initially remained empty. Only when he turned the trio back into a quartet and fell into the arms of his comrades-in-arms did Vinzenz Geiger and Co. celebrate the happy ending.

Only three days after being released from quarantine, Frenzel dared to start with the relay, also because the doctors had given the green light. On the track, however, the 33-year-old’s hardships were visible, Frenzel lost a lot of time to the later winners Norway as well as Japan and Austria. “Of course the others wanted to take advantage of my situation. Luckily I had such a good team at my side,” said Frenzel.

Furious catch-up race

That team consisted of Julian Schmid, Manuel Faißt and, in the end, above all Geiger. As with his Olympic victory on the normal hill, the man from Oberstdorf started a furious race to catch up, won the sprint for silver against Japan and celebrated with the German flag in his hand – but initially without Frenzel.

“Eric has exhausted himself completely. Corona will have done the rest,” said national coach Hermann Weinbuch, who explained after the race that the tenth Olympic Games of his career were also the last. The line-up of the veteran was not a mistake. Frenzel saw it that way too. “All the checks beforehand were good,” emphasized the Saxon.

And so in the end everything was fine. “I gave everything, got everything out of it. That’s why we deserved to win the silver medal,” said Frenzel.

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