"One of the best in the world at his age"

Created: 2022-02-07, 7:45 p.m

By: Patrick Hilmes

Full throttle to the top of the world: Simon Jocher from SC Garmisch has established himself in the World Cup.

On Tuesday morning he celebrates his Olympic debut in the Super-G.

© AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI

DSV Alpine boss Wolfgang Maier believes in a great future for Simon Jocher.

The SC Garmisch athlete starts on Tuesday morning at 4 a.m. in the Super-G at the Olympic Winter Games in China.

Beijing –

Hannes Wagner's alarm clock is set, of course.

At an unchristian time he will ring the bell that night so he will be up at 4am.

Then he will make himself comfortable on the sofa at home, switch on the television and join in the excitement.

That's when the men's Super-G at the Olympic Winter Games in Beijing is due.

One of his protégés, Simon Jocher from SC Garmisch, will also be at the start.

"I want it to annoy him." 

Hannes Wagner about Simon Jocher, who was not nominated for the downhill

Wagner accompanies him in winter and summer, actually also in China.

But the DSV trainer had contracted Corona in mid-January at the World Cup in Wengen (Switzerland).

The time until the races in the Far East was too short to travel later.

Now he's keeping his fingers crossed from afar.

He and Jocher talk on the phone every two days.

Above all, they vote on how the SCG athlete will approach the combination next Thursday.

But there is currently little space in Jocher's head for this, the space is occupied by the Super-G.

It will be the 25-year-old's first appearance at the Olympics.

He wasn't allowed to ski the downhill on Monday, his four colleagues from the German team were given preference.

"That was really tough for him," emphasizes Wagner.

This reaction pleases the coach.

"I want it to annoy him." True to the motto:

Hannes Wagner, DSV trainer.

© dsv

Jocher often convinces in the first training session, but still lacks routine

Now Jocher will celebrate his debut, starting the race with the number 21 – earlier than ever this season.

Accordingly, Wagner has a lot of credit for him.

"Top ten, top twelve - that would be crazy, but it's really possible." But when athletes celebrate their premieres at major events, they often fail because of their own nerves.

But Wagner doesn't believe that.

“His nervousness is the least noticeable.

He knows what he can do, what he has to do.” That means concentrating on every swing.

Because you must not forget: Jocher is just in his second World Cup season, and the first was not complete, for example, he drove the overseas races for the first time this year.

He still lacks the routine, the perfectly timed turns are not yet automatic for him.

And yet Wagner is always enthusiastic:

"It's striking how good he is consistently in the first practice sessions." But time and time again he can't confirm this impression in the second practice session.

As in China: sixth in the first downhill test run, 36th in the second.

"It's such a phenomenon.

In the second training session he wants to get even more out of it and do it even better.

In principle, he has no experience on the track.”

Wolfgang Maier, DSV Alpine Director.

© PETER KORNATZ

It is precisely these points that prompt Wagner to look rosy to the future.

“He reflects his performances very well, it's really fun with him.

In the next few years he will make it even further up the ladder.” Wagner also confirms a statement made by Wolfgang Maier, DSV Alpine Director, on the sidelines of the Women’s World Cup in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: “At his age, Simon is one of the best in the world.

Look, which 96 vintage is better than him in the world?

Not really." Well, that's not entirely true.

For example, Frenchman Matthieu Bailet or Swiss Loic Meillard were also born in 1996 and are ahead of Jocher in the World Cup.

Not to forget Marco Odermatt (Switzerland) and Canadian James Crawford, who are both a year younger and are already at the forefront.

Heel bruise still bothers Jocher

The Alpinchef describes the Schongau native as goal-oriented, someone who has what it takes to be at the top of the podium at some point.

Likewise, Maier isn't worried about Jocher taking off.

“He knows where to go.

I'm not afraid that he won't stay grounded." Wagner also confirms this impression: "He's still the same, he's even more concentrated." In Beijing, however, Jocher's concentration is currently being disturbed somewhat.

At the World Cup in Kitzbühel, he bruised his heel, which continues to bother him.

Between the training sessions in China, he kept tinkering with his ski boots in order to be able to ski as pain-free as possible.

Now some athletes like to take painkillers in such situations.

"But I'm not a friend of that," emphasizes Wagner,

the Jocher therefore advises against it.

In addition, the DSV trainer emphasizes: "It's fine for one trip." And that's all that is required for the Super-G.