Granerud trapped in elevator for half an hour after organisers lost his shoes in Innsbruck

After a failed jump in the first round, Halvor Egner Granerud was visibly furious with the organisers in Innsbruck.

After completing the trial round he was stuck in an elevator for about half an hour.

– It’s a long time since my body has felt as terrible as it does now, after spending half an hour after the trial round standing around in an elevator that was stuck with jump equipment and everything, because the organisers lost the bag with my normal shoes that I had sent down, Granerud tells NRK, clearly angry.

Stuck in full jump gear

After jumping 118 metres in the first round of the third Four Hills event, Granerud says much of the reason for the weak jump was the organisers.

– It affected me very negatively. If I’d had my normal shoes, that would be one thing, but to be stuck in jump boots for 35 minutes because they lost my shoe bag — that was the main problem.

Many athletes ended up stuck in the elevator in Innsbruck, and several were guided onto a bus that was to take them to the top instead.

Granerud says he didn’t get to do the preparations he needed before the first round.

– We barely had time to touch anything or get ready, having been among the first to jump in the trial round, Granerud says.

He says around eight or nine people were stuck in the elevator, and that he will give the organisers crystal-clear feedback about how he feels about the incident.

When the first round was ending there were still problems with the facility’s elevator.

Organisers apologise

Ingo Jensen, press chief for the Four Hills Tournament, told NRK after the first round that he apologises for the problems the elevator caused the athletes.

– Unfortunately it was stuck with some athletes. A Norwegian, Halvor Egner Granerud, was there. Also Philipp Raimund. I don’t know exactly what caused it, but I saw that it was stuck for quite a while. We can only apologise, Jensen told NRK.

Jensen says he understands Granerud being angry, but that athletes reacted differently to the incident.

– As I said, I’m very sorry about this. Each athlete reacts in their own way. Some take it lightly, like Philipp Raimund. He just smiled and kept his confidence. I’m sorry for Halvor. I couldn’t change it, and I can’t change it now.

To Viaplay Granerud said he was incredibly disappointed with the organisers.

– I hope they lose the chance to organise races here next year. It’s not possible, it’s so fucking awful, Granerud said angrily.

– It’s the same every year. I wish the organisers bad things, he added, in very clear terms.

Jensen says he would welcome Granerud back next year.

– As I said, this is not how we wanted it to be. It’s an outdoor sport. Sometimes things happen that shouldn’t happen. We’re very sorry about this, Jensen said.

Later Sunday evening Granerud posted an Instagram story in which he walked back the comment that he “wishes the organisers bad things.”

– A bit high on adrenaline from today’s interview, I do not wish the organisers any harm. I apologise for that statement, Granerud wrote.

Team-mate Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal, the best Norwegian after the first round in Innsbruck, says Granerud was furious about the pre-competition problems.

– He was pretty angry, Sundal says.

A little ironic

Team-mate Isak Andreas Langmo says he just barely avoided the elevator trouble — he just missed it, so he was lucky.

– I just barely avoided it, so I was a little lucky, Langmo tells NRK.

He says he made eye contact with Granerud while Granerud was stuck in the elevator.

– It was a bit ironic. It’s typical that at these kinds of events it’s the elevator of all things that fucks it up, he says.

Sundal says he was transported by bus and escaped the elevator problems, but he saw that Granerud was far from happy.

– He was pretty pissed off, says Sundal.

He also says he had to wait for his equipment.

Granerud also makes it clear that he dislikes the Innsbruck hill.

– I’m so sick of this whole place. I’m wondering next year, if I’m not fighting to win the Four Hills, if I can just take the opportunity to skip when the races are here, he says.

When asked if he seriously might skip Innsbruck next year, Granerud answered briefly:

– There’s no point! I can’t make it work!

Johann André Forfang was the best Norwegian in the third Four Hills event, finishing eleventh. Forfang was number eleven. Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal was twelfth after the first round but fell down the results in the second round and finished 15th.

Sundal summed up the competition like this:

– Crap, Sundal told NRK.

Japanese Ren Nikaido won the competition and took his first World Cup victory. Domen Prevc, who leads the Four Hills Tournament, finished second.

Photo credits: Brede Bleiklie Thomassen / NRK; Kerstin Joensson / AFP / NTB