Paralympics | Alpine skiing: “I have to cry again” – Rothfuss’ late medal fortune

After a downhill, super-G and super combination disqualification on the “raw egg”, Andrea Rothfuss overcame self-doubt in giant slalom – and won her 14th Paralympic medal.

Last Monday evening (March 7, 2022) Andrea Rothfuss applauded in the audience live on the site below when Anna Lena Forster Throwing a gold medal around his neck in Beijing to win the Alpine Super Combined Sitting Class.

Fourth place, raw eggs and a disqualification

“I would love to be there again and experience this moment,” the 32-year-old said in an interview with Sportschau. However, four days ago, this aspiration of the five-time Paralympic player seemed far-fetched.

was in to kick off Downhill four tenths of a second missing from bronzein the following super g He drove “like a raw egg” as the defeated ninth. and a few hours ago Forster’s Golden Ceremony Rothfuss was disqualified prematurely in the permanent Super Combined competition after missing a goal in the first round.

14 medals in five Paralympics

but on Friday (03/11/2022) Andrea Rothfus experienced the first high point of the Paralympics in Beijing. In all his previous games – Turin in 2006, Vancouver in 2010, Sochi in 2014 and PyeongChang in 2018 – he had won silver in giant slalom. Now in the same competition, very decorated 2022 won the bronze medal.

Judging by the subsequent tears in the Finnish field, this was not only her least expected of the 14 Paralympic medals to date, but certainly the most emotional: she “always dreamed of a medal here”, but “never Didn’t think it was possible.”

“Just shake your ass!”

Just before the start on Xiaohaituo Mountain, he confronted the serviceman with his doubts, with Rothfuss saying: “Honestly, I’m afraid, mostly of myself – that I can’t live up to my expectations and I’m in my own way.” The only thing I could think of was, ‘Just shake your ass!'”

And then in this “incredibly strong competition” she “pushes herself, is very active and skis well,” impressed her former teammate and current sports show expert Anna Schaeffelhuber. In the second round – due to the massive collapse of Swede Abba Arsjo, who had the best of all time – only gold winner Mengqiu Zhang from China was faster than Swabian, taking him from fourth place to the podium.

Tears at the thought of the medal ceremony

So, at Friday’s medal ceremony, Andrea Rothfuss completed the podium of alpine riders standing alongside Zhang and Canadian silver medalist Molly Jepsen. Rothfuss said with a broken voice, “I have to cry again when I think of being able to stand there again tonight. Oh, great.” And Anna-Lena Forster and the entire team will almost certainly be there to cheer her on in the crowd below.

Source: sportschau.de