Sigi's Lace | Thoughts with Rosi Mittermaier

I really don't have to make a secret of my sadness and I openly and honestly admit that Rosi Mittermaier's death is throwing me a little off balance. Does life still go on? Will the Biathlon World Cup still take place in Slovenia? Yes, but somehow it is now surrounded by a fog of disbelief. I won't go into Rosi Mittermaier's successes. This will now be read and heard in due form everywhere. I'm thinking more of Rosi, of Christian Neureuther, her husband and also of Felix and Amelie, her two children.

It's like a movie playing out. Like someone put a reel in a projector and lowered a screen. “Sigi, I don’t even know what to say. “It’s all so beautiful.” I will never forget this sentence for the rest of my life. Rosi said this to me, even though many people were listening to her on television at that moment. But she didn't notice it that way and perhaps wasn't even interested. We were sitting in the reporter's booth in Lillehammer at the 1994 Olympics. The microphones were on.

<a data-caption="Rosi Mittermaier gewann bei den Olympischen Winterspielen 1976 in Innsbruck zwei Goldmedaillen in der Abfahrt und im Slalom © APA/afp / -" data-fancybox="inline-141800" target="_image" href="https://s3-images.sportnews.bz/_images/scale/1280x1280/img/2023/01/rosi-mittermair-gewann-bei-den-olympischen-winterspielen-1976-in-innsbruck-zwei-goldmedaillen-in-der-abfahrt-und-im-slalom.jpg"> Rosi Mittermaier won two gold medals in downhill and slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck © APA/afp / -

But no sentence came. Something inconsequential at least. No. Nothing. I just looked at Rosi and I was speechless too, because Rosi was somewhere else entirely. She was in the land of trolls, the many myths of Norway, in the land of the forest spirits. She simply let herself be enchanted and didn't want to destroy this touching and impressive atmosphere with any words. Unconsciously, out of her feelings. She was a spectator and not a co-commentator. “Rosi,” I then said to her, “but you have to say something.”

In addition to the two gold medals in the slalom and downhill, she also won silver in the giant slalom. © APA/afp / -

I can still see it today as if it were yesterday. She turned her head, looked at me, pointed her hand outside and stayed in her world. Rarely has anyone said so much to me, even though not a word was said. This experience was formative for me and I can still see us both sitting in the cabin, each with a headset on our heads, but more connected to our thoughts. Thank you Rosi for this moment, which was unique in the almost 34 years that I have been working for Eurosport.

Laudator at the Bavarian Sports Prize I received the Bavarian Sports Prize in 2014 and was asked who could give the laudatory speech for me. And then I thought of Rosi Mittermaier. And again it didn't take many words. Just a hint and the confirmation was there. She acknowledged me warmly and lovingly, just as she always did. The way I met her. She probably exaggerated a little, certainly. But I was happy. There couldn't have been anyone better than Rosi Mittermaier at this important moment in my career.

I also had nice experiences with Christian Neureuther. He was also my co-commentator at the 1993 World Cup final in Are. In the evening after the races we sat on a bench in front of our hut. Then Christian unpacked some salami, bread and yes, also a small hip flask. He spoke more than Rosi always did, but it was also noticeable how incredibly nice and friendly he was with me. It was just warm and unaffected and authentic. Rosi's influence was obvious and noticeable.

Christian was basically Rosi's predecessor, because he was at my side at the opening ceremony in Albertville in 1992. But of course the French had no trolls or mythical creatures from the forest like two years later when I was able to enjoy my happiness with Rosi. It was a very special experience for me later that Felix was with me on the microphone after the slalom in Madonna di Campiglio.

Rosi said it so beautifully in Munich back then. “And now Sigi is bringing Felix into the house.” Luckily it was dark in the hall and only Rosi was illuminated by spotlights, as is appropriate, because I must have blushed and shed a tear. Now they are tears of sadness, memory and gratitude that I am not ashamed of. Thank you Rosi. I promise you, I will remember again and again that you can say so much without words.

About the author: Sigi Heinrich The award-winning sports journalist (including the German Television Award, the Bavarian Sports Award and the Biathlon Award), book author and TV commentator, dedicates his column “Sigi's Spitze” to the entire diversity of sport. In his previous work as a commentator for Eurosport, he had many prominent athletes on the microphone. Rosi Mittermaier was also one of them and she was associated with a very special experience with trolls, forest spirits and mysterious myths.

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Sigi's Lace | Thoughts with Rosi Mittermaier

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