Staudenmann in a moment of happiness – and the king weeps with emotion
Fabian Staudenmann finally takes down Samuel Giger. The Guggisberger saves the Bernese from a historic defeat – despite considering not to compete at all.
The biggest coup: In the seventh match, Fabian Staudenmann (right) finally manages to take down Samuel Giger.
Photo: Raphael Moser
The final match: What a spectacle!
It is the giant duel that will likely occur frequently in the coming years. Here is Fabian Staudenmann, the Bernese leader, who has won twelve wreath festivals in the last two seasons. And there is Samuel Giger, who has been considered number 1 in sawdust since his triumph at Unspunnen. They faced each other right at the beginning; there was no clear winner then.
In the final match, they wrestle for twelve minutes, pulling and striving, Staudenmann tries and tries but becomes desperate. Just a few seconds before the end, the winning throw actually occurs: The Guggisberger initially refrains from celebrating, fearing that time has expired. When he finds out that everything was as it should be, he collapses into the sawdust, barely able to comprehend his happiness. For clarification: The 24-year-old succeeded just two seconds before the end.
The victor: He was ill before the festival
Overjoyed: After the festival victory, Fabian Staudenmann shows great emotion.
Photo: Raphael Moser
In the seventh match, Staudenmann succeeded – for the first time he managed to take down Giger. Almost a year after the defeat at the Unspunnen wrestling, which had weighed heavily on him.
Staudenmann feared that he would have to forfeit the festival. He suffered from a gastrointestinal infection, “I was still wondering on Friday if it made sense to compete. That it worked out like this now is incredible.” During the final match, he felt like he mentally “died” three times, he was that exhausted. “But I couldn’t just lie down. Probably I got a last burst of energy from my little toe.”
Thanks to the coup, he saves the Bernese from a historic “defeat”: The last time a guest managed to win the Bernese Cantonal was in 2005 with Martin Grab.
The incident: The cheering of the Bernese fans
Defensive artist: Florian Gnägi (left) wrestles Armon Orlik to a standstill.
Photo: Raphael Moser
11,756 spectators are present, and of course they want a Bernese winner. Therefore, there is cheering when one of the guests is stopped. After Florian Gnägi wrestles the Grisons Armon Orlik to a standstill, the stands erupt in cheers and applause. In the northeast Swiss camp, not everyone appreciates this; quietly, they point out that the Bernese spectators often go overboard.
At the Oberaargau match, Domenic Schneider recently complained about the fans for celebrating Fabian Aebersold for the tie. The Bernese coach Simon Jampen says that local patriotism exists in all federations, which is normal. “However, when an outside opponent is stopped today, the cheers will probably be louder than before.” The retired Thurgau wrestler Stefan Burkhalter notes: “When someone immediately lets go of holds and jumps away, there shouldn’t be applause. On the contrary – the wrestler should be punished for the standstill with a score of 8.50. But the judges do not enforce that.”
Anyway, apart from Giger (4th) and Orlik (3rd), the outsiders had nothing to show, no other guest takes home the wreath.
The farewell: Wenger says goodbye
Emotional farewell: Kilian Wenger hangs up his wrestling pants.
Photo: Raphael Moser
In an appropriate setting: After noon, Kilian Wenger hangs up his wrestling pants at the Bernese regional association festival, which he won five times. After the 2010 wrestling king is honored for his career, which ends abruptly due to long-lasting back problems, tears flow here and there. Everyone stands, everyone applauds. For minutes. Wenger himself is crying because he is so moved.
With the 34-year-old leaving, a crowd favorite bids farewell, and his former colleagues use grand words. Christian Stucki speaks of a “shining star in the wrestling sky who has positively changed the sport”. Matthias Sempach believes Wenger has been a tremendous role model, “he did extremely well for wrestling”. And Matthias Glarner adds: “He will be greatly missed. As a wrestler and as a person.” However, Wenger will remain in the scene; he is running for the presidency of the SK Niedersimmental.
The solidarity: Wrestlers stick together
It was a horrifying sight: On Tuesday, a farmhouse along with the adjacent barn burned down in Oberbalm; quails, chickens, and a calf could only be retrieved dead. This is the farm of wrestler Rolf Scheuner, who has participated in several wreath festivals this year and occasionally leads young wrestler training in the SK Schwarzenburg.
Scheuner is a club colleague of Staudenmann, Michael Ledermann, and Severin Schwander – and the wrestling family stands together. The three Eidgenossen promoted donations for their friend via social media and set a good example. Others can do this as well through the homepage of the Oberbalm community.
1. Fabian Staudenmann (Guggisberg) 58.75. 2. Matthias Aeschbacher (Rüegsauschachen) 58.25. 3. Armon Orlik (Maienfeld) 58.00. 4a. Samuel Giger (Märstetten) 57.50. 4b. Florian Gnägi (Aarberg) 57.00. 4c. Adrian Walther (Habstetten) 57.50. 5a. Patrick Schenk (Weier i. E.) 57.25. 5b. Fabio Hiltbrunner (Schmidigen-Mühleweg) 57.25. 6a. Florian Aellen (Gstaad) 57.00. 6b. Patrick Gobeli (Oey) 57.00. 6c. Curdin Orlik (Thun) 57.00. 6d. Philipp Roth (Biberist) 57.00. 6e. Lars Zaugg (Aeschau) 57.00. 7a. Bernhard Kämpf (Sigriswil) 56.75. 7b. Alex Schär (Tramelan) 56.75. 7c. Jan Wittwer (Faulensee) 56.75. 7d. Michael Moser (Biglen) 56.75. 8a. Thomas Sempach (Heimenschwand) 56.50. 8b. Lorenz Berger (Niederscherli) 56.50. 8c. Matthieu Burger (Les Prés-d’Orvin) 56.50. 8d. Fabian Aebersold (Walterswil) 56.50. 9a. Silvan Trittibach (Diemtigen) 56.25. 9b. Luca Vögeli (Wilderswil) 56.25.
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