I’m excited. And the anticipation is building. At long last, I’m on my way to Switzerland again. This time, though, it’s not to play sports myself, but to cheer on the athletes. The Winter Youth Olympic Games 2020 are being held in Lausanne, and I get to watch some of the events live. Even as I try to contain my own excitement about this huge event, I find myself wondering how the athletes must be feeling.
Interview with gold medal winners
I’m heading to St. Moritz. The ice track there hosts luge, doubles luge, monobob and skeleton competitions, while speed skating takes place on the ice rink on Lake St. Moritz. In all, the young athletes, who are no older than 18, compete in 8 sports and 16 disciplines during the Winter Youth Olympic Games.
They’re all excited. That’s what lugers Jessica Degenhardt and Vanessa Schneidertell me when I meet them training at the ice track. They’ve felt that way ever since they learned they’d be taking part in the Winter Olympics. The two girls have just raced down the steep ice track in the doubles event. I caught a glimpse of them flying past at the Horseshoe curve. They were already doing around 70 km/h there.
They pick up even more speed further down. The athletes race across the finish line at around 120 km/h. There’s no room for fear, Jessi says. Vanessa nods in agreement. She rides on the bottom in doubles and can barely see anything beyond her teammate’s helmet. It wouldn’t work without blind trust. But the two are a well-oiled team.
Just three days later, they prove how well they work together and win the gold medal in women’s doubles! First place in the men’s doubles also went to Germany. Moritz Jäger and Valentin Steudte had already claimed the coveted medal a day earlier.
Teamwork in speed skating, too
Doubles luge isn’t the only sport where trust and cooperation matter. The speed skating mixed team race is all about teamwork, too. What makes it special is that the teams include both girls and boys, with athletes from different nations thrown together.
As I approach the speed skating rink on the frozen Lake St. Moritz on competition day, there’s already a buzz in the air. It’s the kind of anticipation you can feel from a distance. Music is playing. Dancers perform choreographed routines. Coaches confer. Athletes warm up in their racing suits. I get a little wave of goosebumps myself.
Then the starting gun sounds and the first teams take off. Skates clack against the hard ice. They quickly find their rhythm. The young athletes skate their laps in sync. Despite the speed and power, they look graceful as they glide around the bends.
This time, there are no German athletes among the top three teams. But winning isn’t everything, Victoria Stirnemann tells me later. She was racing across the ice just moments ago and now stands in front of me in her Team Germany jacket. Medals are always a goal, she says, but the mixed event is also about making new friends. That’s part of it, too.
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At the same time, she beams as she talks about how wonderful it is to have this experience at the Winter Games. After all, as a speed skater, you don’t get to skate on natural ice every day. And certainly not in surroundings like these.
I let my gaze wander over the snow-covered mountains all around us and silently agree. Even for me as a spectator, it’s an amazing experience. Right in the thick of it!
And finally … skiing!
The time has flown by far too quickly. It’s already departure day again. For me, at least. The athletes will keep competing for the coveted medals until January 22, 2020.
But before I hit the motorway and head back to Munich, I have to make a detour to the ski resort. It’s just something I have to do while I’m here. The weather is being just as kind to us as it has been over the last few days. The sun is beaming as brightly as I am. The blue sky contrasts with the white mountain peaks.
Wide pistes wind their way down through the Corviglia ski area. The Engadin-St. Moritz ski resort has almost 300 kilometres of runs in total. It feels like I have the place almost to myself. The snow is cold and dry, sending up a powdery cloud with every turn. I savour my last few turns, reflecting on the past few days as I go.
It was all so different from what I know from TV. It really drew me in. I’m taking that wonderful feeling home with me. Even now, as I write these words, I have the live updates open in the next tab. I’m following the competitions with excitement.
The Winter Youth Olympic Games have gained a new fan: me!
Also of interest:
> Hiking in Switzerland: 3 hikes in Graubünden
> Snow conditions: When will it snow again?
> The best ski resorts 2019