What a success!
Simon Jocher from SC Garmisch sensationally achieved fifth place in the combination at the Alpine Ski World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Cortina d'Ampezzo -
Shortly before the start, Simon Jocher gives ARD an interview.
“My slalom years are a bit over.
But I think I can do it to some extent, ”says Jocher.
He also emphasizes that he has only trained this discipline for four days since last summer.
Not the best prerequisites to defend eighth place from the Super-G in slalom at the Alpine World Ski Championships in combination.
Driving a bit is not enough.
And this adjective didn’t fit the ride that the athlete from SC Garmisch conjured up in the snow of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
After Jocher's race, the ARD commentators Felix Neureuther and Bernd Schmelzer asked whether the 24-year-old, who lives in Grainau, was telling the truth.
"I would be interested to know whether he really only trained slalom for so few days," says Neureuther.
Jocher confirmed it again at the finish.
“Two days in summer in a hall in Belgium, two days in winter.” No more, that's it.
Jocher's performance is all the more incredible.
He was not only able to defend his already strong eighth place, which he had achieved in the Super-G a few hours earlier, he even moved up three places.
Fifth place in the combination at his first World Cup!
Amazed at its performance
So is he disappointed that he didn't get surprise silver like his teammates Kira Weidle, Romed Baumann and Andreas Sander?
“Extremely sad,” jokes Jocher.
“No, no, I'm incredibly happy,” he told the daily newspaper.
He could be that too, because he surprised the commentators as well as himself. “The feeling was not that good during the journey.
It was extremely difficult to drive because the track was so icy, so I partly lost my grip. ”When he got to the finish, he was amazed by his fifth place.
But he expected to slide back further.
After all, there were still some slalom specialists up in the start house.
But one after the other not only bit their teeth at the time of the leading and later world champion Marco Schwarz (Austria), no one came close to Jocher's drive either.
Great praise from Felix Neureuther
Neureuther had identified a reason for this: “He only lost two tenths on black from the second to the third split time.
He drove like a slalom specialist.
Sensational. ”A very special praise from a former world-class slalom driver.
"I'm very happy to hear something like Felix," Jocher says when asked.
Drive home and toast with the family
The speed disciplines are history at the World Cup.
In view of the appearance in the combination: Wouldn't Jocher also be one for the upcoming slalom races at the World Cup?
"No, better not," he says with a laugh.
He leaves that to the real specialists.
This ends the adventure in Cortina d'Ampezzo for the native of Schongau.
On Monday evening, Jocher made his way home.
His arrival time: 9.15 p.m. according to the navigation device.
His plan: "Toast a little with the family and my girlfriend." Then probably go to bed completely exhausted.
Has he more than earned himself the part specialist.