Vinzenz Geiger achieved a stunning comeback at the World Cup in Schonach, moving from 17th to third place in the eight-kilometer Compact Race. Austrian Johannes Lamparter won the event, while Geiger strategically overtook Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro, who struggled with fatigue. Julian Schmid and other competitors faced fluctuating results, with notable performances and challenges. The race format, which prioritizes running over jumping, has faced criticism from some athletes, including Jarl Magnus Riiber.
Vinzenz Geiger’s Spectacular Comeback
What a remarkable turnaround for Vinzenz Geiger! At the World Cup event held in Schonach, he surged from 17th to an impressive third place. The Compact Race, spanning eight kilometers, saw Austrian athlete Johannes Lamparter clinch victory after catching up with the jumping champion, Jarl Magnus Riiber.
Performance Highlights and Challenges
Among the 57 competitors, ten were from Germany, and expectations were low following a less-than-stellar performance the previous day. However, as Geiger entered the final kilometer, he summoned all his energy and executed a near-miraculous overtaking maneuver against Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro.
Oftebro, who had triumphed on Saturday, was visibly fatigued. Starting from seventh, he had pushed himself too hard in pursuit of another podium finish. In contrast, Geiger, starting from 17th due to a weaker jump, managed his race strategically and capitalized on Oftebro’s exhaustion.
Julian Schmid, who began in 13th place, initially showed promise by significantly reducing his time deficit from 44 seconds to just 20. Although he climbed to fourth place, he couldn’t close the gap to the top three, as Lamparter maintained a relentless pace at the front. Meanwhile, Riiber took advantage of the slipstream behind him.
For a moment, it seemed that Oftebro might recover and challenge the leading duo, but he ultimately fell back to seventh place. Schmid also slipped to tenth, while Geiger’s stamina shone through, igniting celebrations in Schonach after the eight-kilometer race.
The Nordic combiners then turned their attention to cross-country skiing, and the reactions post-race were vibrant. Manuel Faißt from SV Baiersbronn made a remarkable jump from 31st to 11th place, while David Mach, who started strong, couldn’t maintain his momentum and ended up in 16th. His brother Simon Mach improved his position to 23rd, and Terence Weber held firm in 24th. Unfortunately, Wendelin Tannheimer dropped from 16th to 27th, and young Richard Stenzel fell from 20th to 35th. Conversely, Jakob Lange from WSV Kiefersfelden made significant progress, moving up 16 spots to finish in 32nd place.
Interestingly, Riiber has expressed his discontent with the Compact race format. This style, introduced last season, places less emphasis on jumping distance and relies on predetermined time gaps based on placement, shifting the focus to running performance, particularly in the final stretches of the race. This new approach adds excitement to the competition and benefits those less adept at jumping, which might explain Riiber’s dissatisfaction as the top jumper in the field.
Johannes Rydzek, another competitor who may have thrived under this format, was absent from the race on Sunday. After a tough outing that saw him plummet from 23rd to 35th, officials decided Rydzek would take a break to recuperate.