Trondheim 1997
The last time at the Trondheim World Championships in 1997, Janne Ahonen won the normal hill world championship. He rose from 8th place in the first round to victory. I guess I should also reveal that at that time Andreas Goldberger was also my favorite. It's hard to say who was first and who was second. It tells you something that I painted a flag with watercolours, one side of which was the Finnish flag and the other the Austrian flag. (Now I guess I should make a flag with Slovenia and Germany.) Somehow I got a bad taste for Goldi back then when he revealed his cocaine use.
Skiing
Iivo Niskanen got the flu and couldn't make it to the whole championship. It was upsetting for me especially for the Finnish relay team, in skiing I like relays the most. I can't accept that the men's relay is no longer 4x10km. Damn that "equality".
Normal hill
Andreas Wellinger did well in the normal hill training and was second in the qualifying, so my hopes were set way too high. And I was reminded that Wellinger was the defending silver medalist in normal hill.
After the first round, Wellinger was second, and held his place in the second round as well. World Championship silver after Lindvik.
Based on the time leading up to the World Championships, I couldn't have believed in Wellinger's medal, and I hear he didn't either.
During the second round, I wondered if I would get to eat a celebratory ice cream, or if it would have to be a consolation ice cream.
"What the hell, Domen is on the team" ie Mixed Team
I wondered if Domen Prevc was under a lot of pressure, not only because he could let down his team but also his sister. Domen's second jump scared the hell out of me, but it was really good.
Silver for Slovenia and Domen! Apparently this was Domen's first World Championship medal.
It was known that for Germany to get a medal, Wellinger would have to do something amazing, i.e. jump at least 5 meters longer than Hörl. Wellinger surprisingly did a really good jump, but it wasn't enough when Hörl did the same. Fourth place for Germany.
Amazing that both of my favorites got medals from the same championship. I was expecting a zero result.
So it was time for the medal ice cream again!
Team competition ie "I'm shitting my pants here"
Domen won the trial round, and Wellinger was third! An unfulfilled dream: both my favorites on the podium at the same time!Before the competition I thought I would be disappointed if there wouldn't be at least one medal, that if both Germany and Slovenia managed to lose so badly.
But then I was reminded that Slovenia was the reigning world champion. Well, they won 2 years ago... when Domen wasn't on the team. That was the infamous competition when Domen was celebrating with them even though he wasn't in the team.
I realized that if Slovenia didn't win now with Domen on the team, it would just feel terrible.
Slovenia led throughout the first round, but only narrowly. But Hörl failed in the anchors, and Slovenia's lead after the first round was a good 20 points, Germany was a narrow fourth.
After the first jumpers of the second round, Slovenia had already lost more than half of its lead. Domen did well in both rounds.
"I'm scared of Timi"
But thanks to anchor Anze Slovenia won. Germany fourth. Too bad for Wellinger, two team fourth places.
The medal ice cream is over, so no more medals from these games?
Large hill
I was pretty sure that there wouldn't be a medal from the last competition, but what happened?
Domen was third in the qualifying! So again, my hopes were too high. And Wellinger was 7th.
Domen was in the lead after the first round! But by a small margin. That they had to organize such a thrilling spectacle for the last competition! My heart was pounding and I was nauseated, the latter for other reasons though.
I didn't think Domen would be able to keep his head together in the second round. But he did. Domen is the world champion!
After an incredibly crappy start of the season, winning the world championship is an unimaginably wonderful achievement.
Why I didn't cry? I cried when Ahonen won the world championship. I cried when Wellinger won the Olympic gold medal (and Wellinger cried himself).
And of course, then the Norwegian suit manipulation scandal had to come and overshadow Domen's great victory. Luckily, Domen won the competition, and didn't just advance to the championship due to Lindvik's disqualification. If more Norwegians are disqualified, Wellinger will get two team medals AND the normal hill championship. And Domen would get a third championship.
"Slovenian Domen Prevc's famous world championship was completely lost amidst massive turbulence."
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