Saturday, January 01, 2022
Satisfied before Beijing
After all, Rydzek is looking forward to Tour de Ski
Coletta Rydzek fails in the sprint in Oberstdorf in the semifinals. She finished the day in twelfth place and then said goodbye with a short break before the Winter Games. The other German starters in the Tour de Ski still have a lot of work to do before Beijing.
Coletta Rydzek gave everything in the last few meters and stormed towards the goal with full commitment – but it was just not enough for the 24-year-old to reach the final at the home game in Oberstdorf. And although she was only allowed to watch the final, Rydzek believes that she is on the right track after finishing twelfth on the fourth day of the Tour de Ski.
“The new year starts like the old one left off,” she said after she was eliminated in the semi-finals: “I’m glad that the hard work is paying off so consistently.” For the younger sister of the combined Olympic champion Johannes Rydzek, the Tour de Ski is now over: “Now comes a little recovery phase, and then it’s off to the Olympics.”
“Eat a lot of pasta”
Janosch Brugger is still hoping for a ticket for the Winter Games in Beijing (February 4th to 20th). It didn’t work out on New Year’s Day – but the 24-year-old from Schluchsee gained a lot of self-confidence. The fact that he survived the prologue in 17th place and thus provided a ray of hope for the German men, who were anything but spoiled for success in the sprint, gave him “a brutally positive mood,” he said. “That was really, really good.” In the quarter-finals, however, the strength dwindled. Instead of the targeted place in the top 15, which would have been enough for the Beijing ticket, only the 26th place jumped out.
Nevertheless, he is going to the next station of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy, with a “laughing eye”: “Anything is possible there, and I hope that I will do my Olympic qualification there perfectly.” Brugger’s plan before the two mass start races in Italy on Monday and Tuesday: “Eat a lot of pasta” in order to strengthen the body with carbohydrates.
In the men’s category, Brugger was the only German to be among the top 30. Katharina Hennig, who finished sixth over 10 km on Friday, was eliminated in her home game in the quarter-finals and ended up in 18th place. Katherine Sauerbrey (Steinbach-Hallenberg / 29.) And Sofie Krehl (Oberstdorf / 22.) Also failed in the quarter-finals. . Laura Gimmler (Oberstdorf) did not start because of a cold. The victories went to Natalja Neprjajewa from Russia and Norway’s top star Johannes Hösflot Kläbo.