Geiger and Schmid on the Podium as Riiber Claims Victory

Double Podium for German Combined Skiers

With the victory of Norwegian dominator Jarl Magnus Riiber, two German combiners have made a strong start.

© IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner/SID/IMAGO/Ulrich Wagner

In the season opener in chilly Kuusamo, Vinzenz Geiger and Julian Schmid delivered a double podium for their team. Following the triumph of Norwegian powerhouse Riiber, Olympic champion Geiger finished second, while World Championship silver medalist Schmid secured third place, narrowly missing out on second. Both DSV (German Ski Association) starters had previously gone a whole season without a podium finish.

"Last week I was still sick, and now it was a perfect start. Second place - and I am also very satisfied with my jump," said Geiger. Schmid echoed a similar sentiment: "I am really happy that I made it to the podium. There were some really strong guys ahead of me, but I managed to overcome them."

Riiber, who led after the ski jump, pulled away from his German competitors in the final sprint. For the 27-year-old, this marked the 62nd World Cup victory of his career. Before the competition, Riiber had stated that the season's start felt too early for him after dealing with knee issues and a stomach virus.

Schmid's Comeback

Both Geiger and Schmid faced health challenges recently, but they persevered despite the subzero temperatures. Schmid notably climbed from eighth position to reach the podium, contributing to the first German double podium since March 2023.
Already, Coach Eric Frenzel's team has nearly equaled last winter's total podium finishes (3).

Manuel Faißt (Baiersbronn), Johannes Rydzek (Oberstdorf), and David Mach (Buchenberg) rounded out the strong performance of the German team by finishing in seventh, tenth, and eleventh places, respectively.

Geiger also benefited from the strong winds at the Arctic Circle: With the jumping round canceled in the morning, the results from Thursday's provisional round were counted. In that round, Geiger had jumped 136.5 meters, landing in fifth place—well behind the usually strong jumper Riiber, who soared 144.0 meters. Because the "Compact Race" format was applied, where the time behind is determined based on placement instead of distance, the field was tightly packed.

In the previous season, the German team had failed to secure a victory for the first time in 25 years. Three third places from Faißt (2) and Mach (1) were the only podium finishes by the end of the season.