“We are still proud of Nadine”

When the winner’s song “We are the Champions” rumbles through the boxes in the finish stadium, Nadine Fähndrich is long gone. Get out of the spotlight. Just to process this disappointment. In the classic sprint, the 27-year-old Eigenthal was fifth in the semi-finals, so that her big dream of a medal at the Nordic World Championships in Planica (Sln) fell apart early on. The three-time sprint winner of the season started as one of the top favourites, but was unable to keep up with the leaders that day.

“There will still be tears afterwards,” says Fähndrich, as the last runners line up behind her. Her name is missing from the last women’s run of the day. “I really wanted this medal, now I didn’t even make it to the final,” said Fähndrich, “I’m really sorry for everyone who works so hard for it and supports me”.

On the other side of the stadium is the Fähndrich fan club of Nadine and her brother Cyril, which only intervenes in the distance races. Disillusionment prevails here too. “It’s a pity it wasn’t enough today. She would have deserved it with the enormous effort she puts in,” says father Kurt. But then he adds: “We are still proud of Nadine.”

How proud to see and hear in the stands all day long. Ten people had traveled to Planica especially to cheer on the two ensigns. Besides Papa Kurt of course Mama Käthy and Nadine’s friend Elvis Fazliu. The Fähndrich clan immediately catches the eye at the Slovenian winter sports location. On the one hand because of the now well-known green hats. On the other hand, because the fan club makes a lot of noise and carries a huge Swiss flag of four by four meters. Whenever Fähndrich or another Swiss woman passes the stand, it gets really loud.

And in the athlete camp, Brother Cyril supports us. Before the race, he says, “I’m really nervous. I want to go to the awards!” This is how it looks at the beginning – at least Nadine Fähndrich is on the right track. In stark contrast to Janik Riebli, Roman Schaad and Erwan Käser, who all failed to qualify.

Ensign doesn’t want an apology

When Fähndrich came through qualifying in eighth place at noon, the mood among the Swiss fans was still excellent. Father Kurt and friend Elvis clenched their fists, later there is cheering after the equally well-controlled quarter-finals. Until the first semi-final, which was of good quality and could have been a final, becomes a Swiss party killer. Fähndrich has no chance against the Swedish trio Emma Ribom, Jonna Sundling and Maja Dahlqvist and the Norwegian Kristine Stavaas Skistad. At the end of the day, she was 71 hundredths short of Dahlqvist.

Even then it becomes clear: the Swedes are unbeatable in this World Cup race. In the end there is even a four-way victory: Sundling ahead of Ribom, Dahlqvist and Linn Svahn.

But Fähndrich does not want to use the huge competition in the semifinals as an excuse: “To get a medal, you just have to prevail.”

When asked about the cheers of her loved ones, she gets emotional. She is happy that she now has familiar faces on the scene who would comfort her: “I am happy to see my friend now.” She will then focus on the upcoming distance races and especially on the team sprint, in which she won World Cup silver in 2021 with Laurien van der Graaff.

But after the 2022 Olympics (fifth in the sprint), she again missed an individual coup at a major event. Mother Käthy says with a wink: “Now it will work in two years.” Then the Nordic World Championships will take place in Trondheim. Certainly again with a loud Fähndrich fan club along the route.

Source : Blick