Philipp Raimund sensationally won gold in the individual ski jumping at the Winter Olympics in Predazzo. National coach Stefan Horngacher praises the 25-year-old's development and sees him as a future star in the discipline. In an interview, Horngacher discusses Raimund's potential and the remaining medal opportunities.
Philipp Raimund, at 25 years old, is the new hero of German ski jumping. At the Winter Olympics in Predazzo, Italy, he won the individual event, defeating dominator Domen Prevc in a decisive moment. In the mixed team competition, the German team missed bronze by 60 centimeters.
National coach Stefan Horngacher, in his seventh and final year in office, expressed his admiration for Raimund's performance in an RND interview. "Philipp Raimund was third in the World Cup in Willingen, has already achieved a few podium finishes this year and was close to dominator Domen Prevc in some jumps," Horngacher explained. He emphasized that the Olympic hills in Predazzo suit Raimund, as the team had trained there in the summer and Raimund was extremely focused. "Now he has rewarded himself for all the work and also given me a golden finale," the coach said.
Regarding Raimund's extroverted personality, which does not fit the typical image of a German ski jumper, Horngacher noted: "That is both a curse and a blessing. It is good to have someone who brings fun. [...] But Philipp has developed extremely. He has matured a lot in the last years." The 25-year-old has been with the team for four years and is now an Olympic champion. Horngacher sees no risk of Raimund getting carried away: "I don't need to brake him at all. [...] He wants to win more medals at the Olympics."
For the large hill in Predazzo, where Raimund had already podiumed in the Summer Grand Prix, Horngacher anticipates a challenging situation with more competition, including from Austria and Prevc, who won mixed gold. Nevertheless: "He has no pressure at all now."
Horngacher is convinced of Raimund's future: "Definitely. [...] Philipp has a lot, a lot ahead of him. There are only very, very few ski jumpers who have his abilities both in takeoff and mentally. [...] If he continues to work as he does now, he will become a great one." The German team still has two medal opportunities at the Games.
