Felix Neureuther is happy that the World Cup is taking place in Cortina.
The former German ski ace speaks in an interview about medals, heroes, Thomas Dreßen and Linus Straßer.
Munich - Eight World Championship participations in seven countries, in the end three individual medals (silver, 2 x bronze) and gold with the team: Felix Neureuther * has an eventful World Cup history.
In the interview, the 36-year-old looks back and ahead of the World Ski Championships, which starts today.
Cortina d'Ampezzo is looking for the heroes of this special winter.
As an expert, Neureuther will only follow the World Cup in Cortina from the TV studio.
By the way: Here you can find the news ticker for the Alpine Ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Felix, is it right or wrong for the World Cup to take place in the middle of the pandemic?
Felix Neureuther: It's important and good for skiing.
The World Cup takes place in a bubble that nobody from outside can enter.
In addition, skiing takes place outdoors and fortunately there has not yet been a major corona outbreak in the World Cup.
What images can a World Cup without fans provide?
Neureuther: Honestly?
It's difficult to convey the emotions.
I'm a sports junkie, I watch everything.
But something is currently missing.
The races in Schladming or Kitzbühel, that was amazing, the football games are also amazing.
You think you get used to it, but that doesn't happen.
That is why it is important that Thomas (Dreßen, d. Red.) Goes along.
Whether he wins something or not is secondary, he brings a story.
Sofia Goggia is another example.
Her World Cup end is dramatic, one is incredibly sorry for the girl, but these dramas and heroic stories are only written by sport.
What do you think Thomas Dreßen can do?
Neureuther: I don't think he's driving the Super-G.
The track is new, nobody knows it except the Italians, and yet the athletes have to run without prior training.
I take a very critical view of that, also with a view to possible injuries.
And on the descent?
Neureuther: You can always trust Thomas to do everything.
He proved that after his knee injury two and a half years ago.
When it comes to speed measurements, he is always one of the fastest, he simply has a genius for.
The snow in Cortina should also suit him.
No matter how long he's been injured, he has the skills to drive medals.
It's difficult to convey emotions
Neureuther on the World Cup without fans
Does a precious metal turn into a hero in the end?
Neureuther: No, heroism has nothing to do with medals or awards.
Anyone who achieves something can be a hero.
For me, the question in sport is whether today's heroes still have an impact on our children, the heroes of tomorrow.
Your new book “For the Heroes of Tomorrow” is about this among other things.
What are you worried about?
Neureuther: The perception of sport has changed.
Today children do not move enough and generally lose interest in imitating the stars.
Your hero was Alberto Tomba, right?
Neureuther: I was enthusiastic about his whole nature, not just his successes.
Also Bode Miller, Hermann Maier or earlier Franz Klammer, what kind of guys were they!
The interesting thing about skiing is that your skiing style says a lot about your personality.
There used to be a lot of different styles.
Today, a lot looks like this.
Everyone drives the same and everyone gives the same interviews, nobody says anything anymore.
When you were a young guy, was there such a thing as media training?
Neureuther: Oh go, I was far from that.
I got my first cell phone when I was 16.
Social media has changed a lot.
It is checked early on that the external presentation is flawless.
Professionalization also sets in too early.
When I was 15, I went skiing on a glacier for the first time at the end of October.
Today the ten-year-olds are up there in July.
Where did we get to?
That's crazy and that's why we're losing a lot of breadth.
Many parents and many children do not go along with it.
In this context you have also criticized the school system several times.
Neureuther: To put it somewhat exaggerated, children are given knowledge while they are supposed to sit on a chair for seven hours.
Where is the movement in that?
How do you want to be so creative?
The problem of the lack of movement is not yet sufficiently recognized, not even in politics.
In cooperation with the Technical University of Munich, you have developed a program called “Move yourself smart” that aims to bring more and real movement into schools.
Prime Minister Markus Söder had already given the green light for implementation last year.
When will it finally start?
Neureuther: The ball has been with the Ministry of Culture for some time.
We have long since fulfilled all wishes and requirements - we could have started long ago.
I just hope politics don't miss the train this time!
In any case, I will implement my program one way or another.
If he gets his performance, there is a medal in it
Neureuther on Linus Straßer
Back to the World Cup.
Linus Straßer * also took a long time to get to the top.
After his victory in Zagreb, the last results were rather poor.
Has the media made him a hero too quickly?
Neureuther: I think it helps Linus that he no longer ended up in the absolute top positions because expectations are lower again.
When he has his things together, he can go very fast.
I have never been a friend of talking about medals before major events.
But when he gets his performance, he wins a medal.
Something that you too had to learn first.
In 2003 and 2005 you were 15th and 19th as a young athlete. Two years later you were eliminated.
Neureuther: I was second after the first round.
But out is out.
I don't have to explain that to an ex-slalom driver, do I?
Neureuther: No, that's good, you're right.
Then came the very special home World Cup in 2011. But then three medals in a row at three World Cups.
What has happened there?
Neureuther: If you fail like I did in 2011, you have to learn the lessons from it.
I have sworn to myself that I will never again isolate myself like that and do everything right.
The pressure was then even higher in 2013 because the preliminary work was better.
Linus now has a similar situation.
He has to try to ignore the thought that he can win a medal.
How did you manage that back then?
Neureuther: I wasn't in the team hotel in Schladming in 2013, but rather rented an apartment on a farm with Stefan Luitz.
The rooster woke us up every morning and in the evening the landlady put us a schnapps.
That was how it should be.
And do you know what I remember most?
You're welcome.
Neureuther: I was second after the first round, the pressure was great, but when I was standing in the athletes' tent I noticed all the exotic things.
I told our press man that I wanted to take a picture with them.
So we went through the whole tent and pulled out the biggest exotics and asked them if I could take a picture with them.
They all fell away from the faith.
I still have these photos on my phone.
A distraction.
Neureuther: Yes, and the coolest thing was: At the award ceremony, which took place much later, I suddenly see the Iranian, the Brazilian, the Qatar, everyone was standing in a row, waiting for me and holding out my fist.
That the guys took the time for me was just wonderful.
Aside from surprise man Dreßen, is Linus the only candidate for a medal?
Neureuther: The speed men are also strong, hallelujah.
Even if it was often close, no one was on the podium during the season.
Neureuther: But it can definitely happen.
The development of the guys is enormous, I get goose bumps straight away because it's such a cool team.
Unfortunately, Peppi Ferstl got injured in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, that's bitter.
Nevertheless, there is a great chance that no one except the Italians knows the slope, experience plays an even bigger role and a lot can happen.
Why are the German ladies so far from it?
Neureuther: Maria (Höfl-Riesch) and Vicky (Rebensburg) outshone a lot.
And have you ever looked at the starting fields at German championships?
That's a double-digit number.
So where should the offspring come from?
We will never be as strong as we were with Seizinger, Ertl and Gerg.
Kira (Weidle) has great potential, but she lacks the comparison in training.
And the speed level at the top is very high.
It's even more extreme in slalom.
There are six girls competing for medals, the rest are 1.5 seconds away.
So the breadth is missing.
Neureuther: Yes, purely out of a typical association structure, it is very difficult to grow to the top if you don't have the mass like the Austrians, Swiss, French and Italians.
Mikaela Shiffrin, for example, only made it because the family handled everything.
Petra Vhlova also has her own team.
In the German association you have to think about whether you will not focus on early customization in the future.
Is there a future functionary speaking?
You got yourself and Marcel Hirscher talking as a tandem in the FIS ...
Neureuther: I was less concerned with myself.
But it would be important that former athletes are integrated.
Many officials look to themselves and too little to the athletes and the sport.
Unfortunately not a completely new finding.
Neureuther: The structure in the big sports organizations is antiquated, my father mentioned something similar back in 1992 in Albertville.
It takes a super-GAU that everything is processed.
You need patience, I don't have that.
Because you are addressing the Olympics.
How do you feel about the games in Tokyo?
Neureuther: If security can be guaranteed, I am of course totally in favor of the games taking place.
But hell, you don't have to push through the Olympics.
A World Ski Championships is easier to hold, but the Olympic Games bring together thousands of athletes and coaches from all over the world, it will be a Herculean task.
Olympia has to reposition itself overall.
As in many areas of life, Corona works like a magnifying glass.
Less becomes more.
And the topic of sustainability will be a priority, I hope that Beijing will remain the last negative example in 2022.
Interview: Mathias Müller
Alpine skiing: World Cup 2020/21 live on TV and live stream - an overview of all dates
The alpine skiing competitions are in full swing.
Here you will find all upcoming dates and how you can be there on TV and via live stream.
The 46th World Ski Championships opened on Sunday, the
first race
with the
combination of women
(slalom, 11.00 a.m. and Super-G, 2.30 p.m., ARD) was to take place
on Monday
- but the competition was canceled due to heavy snowfall.
The German World Cup squad:
Women
: Lena Dürr (Germering), Andrea Filser (Wildsteig) and Kira Weidle (Starnberg).
Men
: Romed Baumann (Kiefersfelden), Thomas Dreßen (Mittenwald), Sebastian Holzmann (Oberstdorf), Simon Jocher (Garmisch), Stefan Luitz (Bolsterlang), Andreas Sander (Ennepetal), Alexander Schmid (Fischen), Dominik Schwaiger (Königssee) and Linus Straßer (Munich).