“I am proud to have beaten Riiber!”

Vinzenz Geiger is the athlete who has achieved the impossible: beating Jarl Magnus Riiber. In this week’s TUESDAY TALK, courtesy of Nordic Magazine, the native of Oberstdorf, where the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships will take place next winter, looks back at his season.

This season, you were the only man to beat Jarl Magnus Riiber: do you now consider yourself to be his main rival?

Vinzenz Geiger: I’m proud to have beaten him. But, no, I'm not his main competitor, simply because I feel that I was not strong enough this winter to fulfil that role.

Riiber puts a lot of pressure on all his competitors even before the ski jump competition…

Geiger: Yes, since coming to the World Cup, he has put everyone under pressure. He has raised the level of ski jumping in the Nordic Combined World Cup to a level which was probably never reached before.

More generally speaking, are you satisfied with your winter?

Geiger: Of course, I'm happy with my season. Ten podiums and two wins is great! But I know I have to improve my jumping to perform even better and be more consistent.

You were 51st in the world in 2016, 20th in 2017, 12th in 2018, 5th in 2019 and 3rd in 2020: next year, will you aim for the big globe?

Geiger: I think I have become more consistent in recent years. But in the end, winning the big crystal globe is not my goal. I just always want to improve. We'll see where it takes me ...

You have now progressed into being the best athlete on the German team, which has big names in your sport like Eric Frenzel, Johannes Rydzek or Fabian Riessle…

Geiger: It's crazy! But like I said, I always want to improve. My goal was not to be better than them. I learned a lot from these guys.

What is the situation with the Coronavirus in Germany now?

Geiger: I can still go out to train but alone or only with family. After the Nordic Combined season ended, I was able to do some ski touring and cross-country skiing. But now I stay at home and spend time with my family and my girlfriend. I study, watch TV and play the Playstation.

Do you dream of becoming a world champion in Oberstdorf, at home, next winter? Will all of your summer efforts be focused on this?

Geiger: That’s definitely my big goal. It would be incredible to become a world champion at home. But for me, it's more important to get there in shape. I will give everything during the competitions. It would already be a dream to have a medal, no matter the colour.

You can find the original version of the interview (in French) here.