Dear friends of ski sports!

The last World Championships in Oberstdorf in the year 2005 took place without me participating – I had my World Cup premiere two years later, in 2007 in Predazzo, Italy.
But of course, I closely watched this winter sports festival with partly heavy snowfall, the uniquely wonderful atmosphere, and the incredible great vibes as a young athlete. And I shared the excitement when our current trainer Ronny Ackermann won the combination titles in the individual and sprint competitions and the silver medal with the team. In his home country, witnessed by his fans – it can’t get much better.

Today, I know for myself how it feels to be awarded with a medal on the occasion of large events: For a competitive athlete, this wonderful feeling is second to none – and I remember it from Oslo, Val di Fiemme, Falun, Vancouver and Sochi.
But I have also learned that you have to work hard to be successful. And still there is no guarantee when fighting for podium places. You are well advised to be able to cope with failure. Having respect for your competitors is very helpful; they also work a lot to make it to the top.

This is also true for the people of Oberstdorf, who in 2015 had to watch as Seefeld got the “Go” for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2019 – you can only congratulate the Tyroleans!
In that competition, they were one step ahead – but nevertheless, we are back again this time and will hopefully be successful with our candidature for the World Ski Championships in 2021. This is my wish for myself and for the sports-enthusiastic Oberallgäu region.
In the last years, the Nordic combined teams came to Oberstdorf for World Cups, FIS Summer Grand Prixs, FIS Youth Grand Prixs, and many youth competitions: As a competitor, I always feel great there, since everything is perfectly organised!

My next big goal are the World Championships in 2017 in Lahti. And as the title holder, I want to take part in the Olympic Games in 2018 in South Korea.
But I’m especially excited to find out whether we will finally have World Championships in our home country in 2021 in Oberstdorf: For the Nordic combined discipline and winter sports in Germany, this would be a very important impulse – regardless of whether I will still be active or able to stand up to my competitors.

Oberstdorf is able to stand up to its competitors – I’m sure!

I’m hoping for home World Championships in Oberstdorf
Yours Eric Frenzel

The initiative “Fingers crossed for Oberstdorf” goes on: In the last weeks and months, many partners, sponsors and media have evinced their sympathy for a renewed candidature of Oberstdorf. Among them, internationally renowned companies, such as Adidas, Viessmann, and Intersport. All of them show their impressive commitment to the business location Germany and the World Ski Championship venue Oberstdorf. New in the “Fingers crossed for Oberstdorf”…

Oberstdorf from above – until now, this experience was reserved for balloonists and paragliders. With a new 360°-tour, you can finally have this experience on your PC screen at home.

This project started on the occasion of the Photo Summit in Oberstdorf last year. Using a drone, the bird’s eye view was made possible. The individual pictures were joined to a virtual tour. This provides an unrestricted view in all directions. Tips relating to places…

You are from Oberstdorf, you know the venue as an active ski jumper, and you are coaching the German Women’s Ski Jumping Team as Federal Trainer at the only German Federal Base. What characterises the town in the Allgäu region?
Andreas Bauer: “I never have to explain where I come from: Our town is world-famous due to the Vierschanzentournee, the Nordic World Ski Championships in 1987 and in 2005, the Ski Flying World Championships in 2008, and the…

Last week, winter returned to Oberstdorf once more. At the beginning of May, the Allgäu mountains showed their most beautiful winter scenery. Just as they would like to remind us all, before our trip to the FIS Congress in Cancun, of which great scenery they could provide for FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

Of course, we are all busy preparing for the Congress in Mexico. And no matter where you go – in Oberstdorf, everybody is talking about one…