The German cross-country skiers have clearly missed their biggest chance to win an Olympic medal.
In the relay over 4×5 km the DSV quartet took only sixth place in Norway’s victory over record holder Marit Björgen, it was the worst result since 1994. Silver went to Sweden, bronze to the team of Olympic athletes from Russia.
Stefanie Böhler, Katharina Hennig, Victoria Carl and final runner Sandra Ringwald were 1’49.4 “behind the Norwegians, who had only finished fourth after ten kilometres. The German four-man, who had to give up the sick Nicole Fessel, missed out on bronze for more than a minute.
The German medal dreams burst early, when the experienced Böhler lost sight of the top position during the first few kilometres “I’m sorry that I gave Katha such a backlog. I risked everything, but it wasn’t meant to be,”said 36 year old Böhler on ARD television:”I was very nervous before the race because I knew that I couldn’t rely on my form”.
Meanwhile, Björgen broke several records with her renewed triumph: she was the first winter sportswoman in history to win the Olympic gold medal for the seventh time, and with a total of 13 medals she also equalled with record holder and compatriot Ole Einar Björndalen (Biathlon). At 37 years of age and 333 days, she is also the second oldest Olympic relay champion after Raissa Smetanina from Russia, who won gold in 1992 at the age of 39.
The German women’s relay, still Olympic champion in 2002, won a medal at the last four consecutive winter games. No other country had ever seen such a series. Now the DSV team is facing winter games without a single cross-country skiing medal, the last one was in 1998. The men’s relay on Sunday (15.15 hrs in the LIVETICKER) has only underdog chances.
At the Olympic Games in 2014 there was still bronze for the German quartet around Böhler, it was the only German cross-country skiing medal of the Games.