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Oberstdorf (dpa) - In the almost empty ski jumping stadium, the volunteers celebrated Karl Geiger's silver coup.
“Karle, Karle,” they shouted until the German World Cup runner-up waved happily from the podium in the direction of the grandstands.
Ironically, in his living room at the ski jumping hill, the Allgäu man once again achieved his absolute top performance to the point.
"That was really brutal," said the completely stunned violinist on his success in Oberstdorf.
«I'm really speechless.
I didn't see it coming. "
National coach Stefan Horngacher was also enthusiastic.
"We are all overjoyed that we won a medal in the first competition," he said on ARD.
«Karl jumped really well.
The second jump was a real bomb. "
Geiger jumped 103.5 and 102 meters from the normal hill on the Schattenberg.
"It can't go any better," said Horngacher.
Buddy Markus Eisenbichler was also very enthusiastic and called second place "absolutely awesome".
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The 28-year-old violinist only had to admit defeat to world champion Piotr Zyla from Poland.
Bronze went to Anze Lanisek from Slovenia.
Previously, the German jumpers, combiners and cross-country skiers had not made it onto the podium in eight decisions at the long-awaited Nordic World Ski Championships.
For Geiger it was the next chapter in his extremely turbulent winter story.
In December, the Allgäu, previously known as the “Kleinschanzen-Karle”, was crowned ski flying world champion in Planica, Slovenia.
Shortly afterwards, his daughter Luisa was born, then he had to be quarantined because of a positive corona test.
Geiger was allowed to leave the isolation just in time for the Four Hills Tournament - and won on the large hill in Oberstdorf, of all places.
After mixed weeks in the World Cup and the low point in Klingenthal when he missed the second round twice, he was back in top form in time for the big highlight.
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Geiger knows the system like hardly anyone else in the jumpers field.
“Because it is not an easy hill” and “unbelievably reveals mistakes”, he likes to train there.
"The little hill suits me better," said Geiger at last.
On Saturday you could see what he meant by that.
The hill did not reveal any major mistakes.
As the second best German, Pius Paschke took eleventh place.
Co-favorite Eisenbichler jumped to 17th place. At the World Championships in Tyrol, two years ago, "Eisei" won the World Championship title from the large hill, in a team and with the mixed team.
On Saturday he was happy with Geiger - his roommate in non-Corona times.
In front of the stands filled with cardboard figures due to the corona, the flying artists offered a thrilling, top-class jumping show.
At halftime, Eisenbichler was 14th, only four and a half meters behind the first-placed Zyla.
From the German quartet, Geiger was the best in the race as fourth just a few centimeters behind bronze and made excellent use of his starting position.
Paschke in sixth place was also within striking distance.
The final turned into a nerve game, with Zyla rolling in the snow for joy at the end.
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On Sunday the best German jumpers are challenged again.
In the mixed team, the quartet of the German Ski Association starts as defending champions.
The top favorites are the DSV-Adler from 5 p.m. (ARD and Eurosport) even after Geiger's success this time.
Eisenbichler, Katharina Althaus and Anna Rupprecht were recently too far away from the absolute top of the world for that.
Geiger still gave the party motto: "We celebrate smartly after the mixed," he said.
"But tonight there is also a beer."
Before the jumpers have their turn to compete, the Nordic combined athletes and the team have great chances for a medal on Sunday afternoon (10 a.m. and 3 p.m. / ARD and Eurosport), the cross-country skiers in the team sprint rather not (finals from 1 p.m. / ARD and Eurosport 2).
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210227-99-620645 / 6
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