SportNews in Seefeld | Zelger's failed plan with the world champion

Alexander Foppa, Seefeld in Tyrol

I couldn't have timed my arrival on Wednesday morning at the World Cup venue north of the Brenner Pass better: I hadn't even taken two steps through Seefeld's town center when I suddenly found Stefan Zelger standing in front of me. With his blonde hair, he blended in with the countless fans from Norway who have besieged the small Tyrolean community since the start of the World Cup. It wouldn't be the only time our paths crossed that day.

After a quick “Hoi,” Zelger explained to me about his morning excursion among the fans. “I have to relieve the tension somehow, and the best way to do that is by jogging. After all, we have to bridge the time until 14.30:23 p.m..” Then the 15-year-old will start his second World Championship race, the XNUMX-kilometer classic competition. Just seconds later it is Norway's gold contender Martin Johnsrud Sundby's turn. “He'll catch up with me soon, then I'll try somehow to hang on and jump on the bandwagon,” that's his plan.

“The train just rushed by” We greeted each other and arranged to meet later. But his plan with Sundby stayed in my ears - and probably also in Zelger's memory. Because it was the very first topic he brought up when we met for the second time that day, this time less suddenly than hours before on the street, but more hectic in the crowd of the “mixed zone” immediately after he arrived at his destination. “The train just rushed past me,” groaned the South Tyrolean. “It overtook me just before a departure, I couldn’t keep up for a second. I sweated like a pig in the sun. That was really hard.” Sundby was crowned the new world champion, while Zelger ended up in 57th place in the no-man’s land of the rankings ( Click here for the detailed race report ).

Visibly scarred, but with a smile on his lips: Stefan Zelger after the race.

It was generally not a good day in Seefeld, neither for Stefan Zelger nor for cross-country skiing. While the effects of one Doping raid Although this sport will probably be a shock for some time, the young man from Bolzano was able to smile again about half an hour after the race. “For me the World Cup is now over. Since I am scheduled to be a relay substitute, I will stay in Seefeld for two more days. I want to enjoy this time. It was a great experience for me, also because I was with... Qualification for the sprint final round I have achieved my big goal.” “So, now I’m cotto” However, it wasn't quite over for Zelger yet. After our conversation, he had to smile into the lens for a photo with a group of fans from South Tyrol and sign autographs along the barrier. He called to me from a distance: “So, now I'm definitely 'cotto'!” After that, we parted ways for the last time that day.

___________ In this section, the SportNews editors report on their experiences at the Nordic World Ski Championships 2019 in Seefeld. Mostly they are interviews and videos, sometimes from scenes outside of major sporting events.

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SportNews in Seefeld | Zelger's failed plan with the world champion

He is South Tyrol's only cross-country skier in the title fights in Austria and at the same time the big World Cup debutant: Stefan Zelger from Bolzano. We accompanied him on his second day of racing in the sunny winter wonderland of Seefeld.

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