First Medals for the German Team: Confetti, Corks, and the Crown Prince

Nordic Ski WM: First Medals for the German Team: Confetti, Corks, and the Crown Prince

In thick knitted sweaters and heavy shoes, many fans are on their way out of the city early - into the woods where the large steel grandstands are set up, the tracks are prepared, and colorful WM banners hang between the trees. They have attached small Norwegian flags to their backpacks, hung bells engraved with "Trondheim 2025" around their necks, and packed snacks for a long WM day. The hype is real in Trondheim.

Over 200,000 tickets were sold even before the opening ceremony on Wednesday. Fans and security greet each other with a "heihei", many have brought camp chairs, painted Norwegian flags on their faces, or carried the mascot as a plush toy under their arms. The highlight for local fans on Friday is the mixed team competition in Nordic combined.

As the Norwegian team is early favorites, fans are already celebrating the expected WM title and Crown Prince Haakon, who in a bright red sweater is one of the most prominent fans at the competitions. He sways to the songs blaring from big speakers in the stadium and witnesses the first two medals of the German team.

"Silver medal? That's unbelievable"

As the decision for the female ski jumpers approaches in the second round, heavy rain begins to fall. Selina Freitag remains unfazed, staying focused and securing silver. The victory goes to Nika Prevc from Slovenia. "A silver medal? That's incredible," Freitag says after her long journey through the interview zone, her hair drenched by the rain, smiling and shaking her head in disbelief.

Selina Freitag and Schmid celebrate together after a strong performance, demonstrating their skills and showcasing their spirits despite the rain. Friday stated, "The two competition jumps felt liberating because I could take the flow in again and the jump came together. It was a lot of fun."

The German team stands by as the Norwegian favorite is expected to falter. But the host's mixed team performs confidently, and fans carry them to gold with Norwegian flags and plenty of enthusiasm. The German team, consisting of Jenny Nowak, Nathalie Armbruster, Julian Schmid, and Vinzenz Geiger, also takes to the track despite tough conditions and comes away with silver. Armbruster, who finished sixth in the individual event on Thursday, beams at the finish, and her relief is palpable.

Euphoria in pouring rain

"We are very, very happy," she says. "What Norway has achieved is impressive." This is evident not only in the competition but also in the enthusiastic fans who, despite the heavy rain, create an atmosphere that gives Armbruster goosebumps. "This is a moment you never forget when so many people scream so loudly."

After hours of rain, their Norwegian flags may be frayed and the paths submerged in a mixture of mud and snow, but that hardly matters following a day of WM excitement in Norway and the first medals for the German team.