Kombi-Chef Bieler - "World Championship Gold in Team Event is Our Big Dream"

Kombi-Chef Bieler - „WM-Gold im Team-Bewerb ist unser großer Traum“
With a triple pack, the new World Cup season kicks off for the Nordic combiners this Friday in Ruka, Finland. "Krone" spoke before departure with ÖSV head coach Christoph Bieler about his team, seasonal goals, dreams of World Championship gold, and their Norwegian rivals, especially Jarl Magnus Riiber.

“Krone”: Since early April, your team has been preparing for the World Championship winter. Have all preparations been completed before the start?
Christoph Bieler: For our flagship athletes Johannes Lamparter and Stefan Rettenegger, the conditions are not perfect, but overall, I’m very optimistic about the season. We worked very well over the summer.

What issues are the two young stars facing before the kickoff?
Johannes is improving after a long-standing knee problem, making great progress. He is much further along than a month ago, but still has a way to go in terms of his fitness levels. Stefan is struggling with a persistent cold. He hasn’t done any endurance training for almost two weeks, missing out on critical training for the first races. I am confident that he will regain his strength throughout the season.

What can be expected from seasoned athletes like Lukas Greiderer and Franz-Josef Rehrl?
For the World Championships, we need strong performances from one or two veterans alongside our two young stars. We will have to rely on our established athletes. Lukas is particularly strong, often performing better in major events compared to other races. He hopes to show this early in the World Cup. Meanwhile, I expect Franz-Josef to return to the forefront, as he seems to have regained his jump performance.

What are the major goals for the upcoming winter?
We aim to win the Nations Cup again. For the entire coaching staff, it is crucial to field the strongest team possible. This requires us to secure victories and podium places, not just with one athlete, but as a whole team.

The World Championships in Trondheim are surely the highlight of the season...
Absolutely. We want to enter with four athletes who are in peak form at that time. Due to wind conditions, not all competitions in Trondheim will be fair, so it's crucial to have multiple competitive athletes rather than relying solely on one.

In Norway, the team event is featured for the last time at the World Championships...
It would be an absolute dream to win the last team event in our sport at a World Championship. We haven’t won a team event since 2011. We’ve had victories in team sprints with two athletes, but we haven’t won a four-man race since. It would be incredible to dethrone Germany or Norway after such a long time with a completely new generation.

Speaking of Norway, Jarl Magnus Riiber recently complained about health issues...
It’s always interesting to hear the stories about Riiber. I’ve not seen a season kickoff where he didn’t speak about health problems. This doesn’t concern us too much. We know for sure that when he starts, he is the one to beat. His jumping skills are remarkably good nonetheless.