Daniela Maier first crouched disappointed in the snow, then leaned against a wall, irritated and somewhat helpless - and after a minute-long and nerve-wracking video proof, she didn't even want her unexpected bronze medal.

"My nerves were on edge.

I thought that was unfair,” said the German ski crosser after the biggest and probably most dramatic success of her career.

Only when her team hugged her after the jury's decision and cheered with "You're the best woman" chants did the 25-year-old gradually become happy.

Maier will probably never forget this emotional roller coaster ride.

After all, she had already finished with the first Olympic medal for a German ski crosser.

In fourth place, Maier crossed the finish line in the Olympic victory of Swede Sandra Näslund behind Canadian Marielle Thompson and Fanny Smith from Switzerland.

But on the video wall only gold for Näslund and silver for Thompson were initially confirmed in the wild snow flurry of Zhangjiakou.

The rest was under review, with the jury using video evidence due to an unfair action by Smith.

For minutes, Maier trembled at minus 20 degrees, looked spellbound at the scoreboard and bit his fingernails.

Then finally salvation.

While Smith no longer understood the world, Maier didn't even know how to react.

“Fanny received a yellow card for her maneuver on the home stretch.

There is a relatively clear set of rules.

If a driver can be assumed to be intentional and another driver slows down significantly, then that's a yellow card," said sporting director Heli Herdt on ARD.

"It's the medal.

Tomorrow nobody will ask how it came about.”

The German Peter Krogoll was responsible for the video evidence.

However, the decision was made by a five-person jury.

Maier's medal is no longer contestable.

She expressed herself reluctantly: "She took my speed a little bit.

We have a racing jury for that.

This is pure ski cross.”

Born in Furtwangen, she traveled to China with outsider chances after her third place a few weeks ago at the World Cup in Nakiska, Canada, and brought the German Ski Association (DSV) the first Olympic medal in this discipline.

"World class.

So, so cool.

Just great,” enthused Maier.

Your personal reward?

"Maybe a champagne tonight."

The 25-year-old was already on the verge of being eliminated in the quarter- and semi-finals.

From what was meanwhile last place, Maier fought his way forward again and again on the icy track.

"It was a thriller, she just earned it," praised Herdt.

Maier's teammate Johanna Holzmann from Memmingen had previously failed in the quarter-finals.

For Maier, the first thing to do is: “Realize and then enjoy.

Unbelievable, I just have bronze".

And tears flowed again.

This time just for fun.