Sports director Andi Scheid: "We're all in!"

Created: 03/18/2022Updated: 03/18/2022 7:36 p.m

By: Uli Kellner

Leap forward - also in width: Andi Scheid, sports director at Snowboard Germany.

© Stefan Matzke / sampics

For once, there were no medals for Snowboard Germany at the Olympics, but many crystal balls are waving at the end of the season.

Running, finds sports director Scheid.

World Cup final on the Götschen – this time with fans and, as usual, with the best German chances for big crystal balls (parallel slalom from Saturday, 12:45 p.m., team event: Sunday, 11 a.m./ZDF broadcasts partly live).

Ramona Hofmeister, 25, and Stefan Baumeister, 28, are hoping for a race party at home, Martin Nörl, 28, wants to bring his yellow jersey to the finish line at the boardercrossers on Sunday in Veysonnaz - and a week later Leon Vockensperger, 22, secure the win of the overall freestyle world cup.

Sports director Andi Scheid has many reasons to be satisfied with the 2021/22 winter competition - if it hadn't been for the medalless Beijing Games.

Our end-of-season interview with the 46-year-old maker of Snowboard Germany.

Mr. Scheid, what dominates your review of the season – the crying Olympic eye or the smiling World Cup eye?

Scheid:

Of course, the topic of the Olympics will keep us busy for a while - many wishes have not come true.

We weren't too bad with two top 8 places each in the race, in freestyle and in boardercross, but unlike in the World Cup, it wasn't enough for the very front.

Unfortunately, the performance at the games has a strong impact on sports promotion.

As far as the overall cross-section is concerned, we're all in.

Overall, we've gotten better again, so the overall conclusion must be positive.

The winter before brought World Championship medals in all colors, this time four overall World Cup victories and various small balls?

What kind of success does the sports director prefer?

Scheid:

Of course, the immediate effect of World Championship medals is stronger, but it is a sign of quality when you are at the top for an entire Olympic season - with the same competition as at the games.

Unfortunately, this is not perceived in Germany in the same way as in Austria and Switzerland, for example.

If you talk to people there, the overall World Cup has a completely different status.

World Championship medals are nice too, but unfortunately you can't choose them.

Ramona Hofmeister can win the big ball for the third time in a row.

Would you say that the generation change after the retirement of world champion Selina Jörg and Cheyenne Loch was successful?

Or is the second row a little behind?

Scheid:

You have to see: The comparison with a top driver like Selina in training - that was gone overnight.

That made it more difficult, but Caro (Langenhorst) took a step forward, as did Melli (Hochreiter).

I was very concerned but I would definitely say we made the best of it.

What is new is that there are also German winners in the freestyle disciplines: André Höflich, Annika Morgen and Leon Vockensperger.

Has Snowboard Germany finally made it to the top of the world?

Scheid:

The fact is: everyone who is established in the Freestyle World Cup and has been at the Olympics is close.

After all, they are all still young – and still have four or eight years to go.

Structurally, we have to make sure that we push something on from the youngsters.

That's the next big challenge.

I don't know whether we, as a small association, will also make it to the top of the world in general, but in connection with the training facility that we have written on our to-do list, we are also doing well in freestyle in the long term.

Are you worried about losing funding by missing out on Olympic medals?

Scheid:

If you look at all the crises around the world: Corona, Ukraine - it's difficult to make an overall assessment of the flow of funding.

I hope that people will continue to place their trust in us - as do our partners, who rate the overall substance positively.

In any case, we will not allow ourselves to be diverted from our path - no matter how the funds flow.

In any case, we will not allow ourselves to be diverted from our path – no matter how the funds flow.

Andi Scheid, Sports Director at Snowboard Germany.

Do the Beijing Games stand on their own because of the circumstances?

Or can you learn any lessons from these Winter Games?

Scheid:

Difficult.

It is important that we had young first-time participants – they were able to gain valuable experience.

Otherwise, there is an individual story for each athlete.

Martin (Nörl) was cleared, with Ramona (Hofmeister) it wasn't entirely clear whether there would be a protest.

These are so individual stories that may have prevented a medal in the end.

As for the teachings, you'll have to dig deep to analyze them.

It is conceivable that we can still get something out of it mentally.

That one adapts to such framework conditions.

It certainly wasn't due to the motivation and preparation, because that's where we got the maximum out of it.

In 2023 there will be a World Cup in Georgia for the first time.

How good is it for snowboarding that the map is expanding?

Scheid:

I like it.

We got only positive feedback from Georgia.

It's a winter sports developing country, but the potential is undeniable: It's a mountainous country with lots of snow in the Caucasus.

New territory for us, but we rate it positively and look forward to it.

Will we be able to count on Snowboard Germany again in terms of medals?

Scheid:

Definitely

.

Interview: Uli Kellner