Four Hills Tournament: Werner Schuster talks about Severin Freund and pressure – SPIEGEL ONLINE

When Werner Schuster is euphoric, then something special must have happened. The Austrian is now in its eighth year coach of the German ski jumpers, but as much as on Tuesday evening Schuster has rarely enjoyed in this period. “A fantastic day” it was, he said: “A great day for the German ski jumping.”

The hours earlier Schuster had spent mainly in order to box his fists in the mountain air of Oberstdorf, after every good flight his jumper at the first competition of the Four Hills Tournament cheered Schuster. He had to do well, a total of five made it into the German Top 15.

The superior performance of the evening was Severin Freund, who had put his second jump on 137.5 meters and so – despite a weak first attempt of 126 meters -. the victory ahead before Michael Hayböck from Austria and the favorites Peter Prevc from Slovenia made perfect

“The important thing was the second passage,” Schuster said of Freund’s performance. In his postscript then swung a lot easier with: “Had the not succeeded, it would have been extremely bumpy.”

So as otherwise mostly in Oberstdorf. In December 2002, Sven Hannawald had won the opener of the Four Hills Tournament since the Germans failed reliably year after year on the Schattenbergschanze. From the “curse” have already spoken, who had hitherto weighed on a friend. The world champion and team Olympic champion belongs in the tour for many years of the favorites, but never came on seventh place in the overall standings addition, in Oberstdorf was a third place his best result.

“We have here must plug some “

” We have quite a bit to insert “, Schuster said. Just like last year, had become as a friend 13 and Richard Freitag, who this time was good ninth, finished only 15th. From a “catastrophic competition” Schuster had then spoken: “I would have never imagined in my wildest dreams, that our two top people can so bad jump skis.”

As Schuster, 2008, the post of national coach of Peter Rohwein had taken, gnawed the German ski jumping almost exclusively from the past successes of the era Sven Hannawald and Martin Schmitt. Hann Forest finished his career in 2005, Schmitt’s career declined coming to an end. Schuster should restructure the entire system. “I want to medium and long term to return the German ski jumping back into the world elite,” he said at the time. The public had a hard time with “medium – and long term”. World Cup success and even world championships will be easy to significantly smaller stage rather than the Olympic Games and the Tour.

The first major triumph succeeded Schuster and his team at the Winter Games in Sochi, as the team – led by friend – won the gold medal. Richard Freitag always been considered the biggest talent in DSV squad, but failed at the association’s internal qualification for Sochi. Schuster was strict with the man from the Ore Mountains, but did to him and encouraged continued Friday. Last year it paid off by winning the tour jumping in Innsbruck, the first day triumph since Hanna Forest opening win in 2002.

Now folds the emancipation of the era Hannawald / Schmitt

“We have remained patient and have prepared meticulously,” Schuster describes his work. He says that for years. He had therefore always right, but now they have achieved success in paying off. Why only now?

“We have been trying for years to emancipate ourselves from the previous generation. It is all the more valuable that Severin did yesterday,” says Schuster. The legacy of past successes weighed too heavy, the pressure was too great. “Just ask for the tennis players,” he advises, “The do it for 25 years not to Wimbledon finals, because they are compared with Boris Becker and Michael Stich.”

Becker and Stich, Hanna Forest and Schmitt. The biggest names of the recent German sports history. As far are far from being a friend and Friday. An overall victory in the tour could change that, however. Schuster dares to mainly friend. “His character is that he is mentally stronger with each success. He has taken the team gold in Sochi as a door opener to gain mental strength. Others fall into a hole, when they reach a destination. He is free.”

The next stop on the tour is Garmisch, where friend is just become sovereign German champion. “With this performance he would on Friday forefront,” says Schuster. Then it will apply again to beat the currently dominant Springer: Peter Prevc. Nothing was the Slovene nor the better Springer says Schuster, we must now put further pressure on him. Also friend is sure that the competitor would have beaten him in Oberstdorf, if the wind had not suddenly turned. But he turned.