Historic Coup for German Winter Sports Phenomenon: "It feels so surreal"

Historic Coup for German Winter Sports Phenomenon: "It feels so surreal"

On her path to graduation, Nathalie Armbruster achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first German to win the overall World Cup in Nordic Combined, surprising even herself.

On Saturday, Armbruster made history in Oslo, and starting Tuesday, she’ll be back in Freudenstadt focusing on mathematics and Spanish, as the academic pressures catch up with her. "After my athletic performance, I can finally call myself the overall World Cup winner at just 19 years old! This is surreal, as I didn’t even anticipate winning the crystal globe this year," she expressed.

Armbruster defended her lead on the final weekend at the legendary Holmenkollen, successfully maintaining her yellow jersey with finishes of sixth and fourth place.

It’s been a year full of surprises for her, as she noted the heavy toll of balancing her dual career in sports and school, but now she can finally revel in this achievement. Just a few weeks ago, she was distraught after finishing seventh in her individual World Championship events in Trondheim, and was emotionally drained at the time.

In reflecting on her win, she commented, "It’s like a massive weight has been lifted from me. I didn’t even know I was carrying such a burden." With this victory, Armbruster joins the ranks of a prestigious lineage in German winter sports, previously held by legends Hermann Weinbuch, Ronny Ackermann, and Eric Frenzel.

Having solidified her place in history, she will now devote her energy to completing her schooling at an exemplary level. Her focus shifts to overcoming the challenges expected in the coming exam period: "I’ll be relieved to check that off my list once I finish my A-levels."