Silver winner Katharina Althaus and her head coach Maximilian Mechler do not feel disadvantaged after the controversial end of Zhangjiakou’s Olympic singles.
“We don’t see ourselves as cheated. That’s just how it is in sports. There is luck and bad luck involved. It wasn’t good yesterday,” said national coach Mechler at a press conference by the German team in Zhangjiakou. After leading at half-time, Althaus lost first place, and instead gold went to Ursa Bogataj from Slovenia.
ARD expert Sven Hannawald then criticized the decision of race director Miran Tepes to let Althaus jump in poor conditions in the second round. The 25-year-old could not share this criticism. “It’s just part of the sport. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re unlucky. I’m still happy that I had the jumps to get the medal,” said Althaus. Germany’s best ski jumper is challenged again on Monday in the mixed team. Mechler left it open which second woman would be allowed to start next to Althaus. (dpa)