Cross-country ace Friedrich Moch is “slowed down” by coaches for a training pause

Germany’s cross-country star Friedrich Moch has begun the Olympic winter in a slump after an excellent 2024/25 season. According to national head coach Peter Schlickenrieder, the 25‑year‑old likely overreached in training. Moch is known for executing plans meticulously, but may have ignored body signals; he admitted feeling insufficiently recovered before races after long training blocks.

In five World Cup starts so far this winter he has not cracked the top ten; his best result is 18th in the 20 km mass start at Ruka, Finland. That contrasts with last season, when he logged six top‑10s and finished third on the Alpe Cermis Final Climb at the Tour de Ski.

To reverse the trend, the staff is intentionally “slowing him down.” Moch will take several easy days with a reduced load to restore freshness. He even swapped to alpine skis briefly this week to keep the legs moving without stress. Schlickenrieder emphasizes that the priority is recovery and readiness for the upcoming Tour de Ski, which opens with a freestyle sprint in Toblach on December 28.

The coaching staff also notes Toblach is an important test as it uses the same course that will host the Olympic sprint six weeks later. For athletes not yet qualified for the Olympics, the targets are two top‑15s and one top‑8 across the Tour rather than chasing immediate podiums. For Moch, the focus is to climb out of the form dip and rediscover last season’s level in time for the major championships.