Olympic Gold for Stefan Kraft in the team event
At his second Olympic Games, the several times World Champion and overall World Cup winner Stefan Kraft succeeded in winning his first Olympic medal which shines in gold!
The adventure Olympic Games started for the 28-year-old from Salzburg with the competitions on the normal hill in the Snow Ruyi National Ski Jumping Centre near Zhangjiakou. But the road to Beijing was not an easy one. After several injuries in the summer preparation, a season start with ups and downs and a failed 4 Hills tournament, the 28-year-old took a break from the World Cup and worked out a precise plan with his individual coach Patrick on the way to the Olympic Games. As a result, Stefan Kraft found his stability again and was able to fight his way back within reach of the top in time for the season’s highlight.
Therefore, the good performances in training and qualification in Beijing were a promising confirmation of the upward trend. In difficult wind conditions and icy temperatures Kraft achieved a place in the top 10 in the normal hill competition, on the large hill it was only enough for 13th place. He was within striking distance of the top, but could not show his very best jumps. In the mixed team competition “Krafti” again showed very good jumps, but for Team Austria it was not enough for a podium due to a disqualification of Iraschko-Stolz.
At the end of the Olympic Games, the team competition was on the agenda for the ski jumpers, which was also characterized by difficult conditions. The Austrian team consisting of Stefan Kraft, Daniel Huber, Jan Hörl and Manuel Fettner, however, managed to show consistently good jumps and thus they were crowned team Olympic champions thanks to a masterful team performance!
Olympic gold now also joins the long list of Stefan Kraft’s successes – in addition to World Championship titles, overall World Cup victories and much more, the Olympic medal completes his impressive collection of titles. In addition, the medal is once again a confirmation of his path and a great satisfaction after the difficult course of the season so far.
After a few days at home and a reception with the Austrian Chancellor, the World Cup already continues. In the next few weeks, the Raw Air Tour and the Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund will be some highlights.