Shortly before the first race

Olympics: “Worst case” for ÖSV hopeful Stadlober

Teresa Stadlober is struggling.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

The omens for the two Austrian cross-country skiing hopefuls could be much better ahead of the Olympic opening with the skiathlons. While Mika Vermeulen struggled in the run-up to the Winter Games, Teresa Stadlober was actually among the medal contenders after several podium finishes in January. However, a cold shortly before the first race on Saturday (1 p.m.) dampened expectations. "For an endurance athlete, it's the worst case scenario," she said. 

"It's annoying and stupid that it happened right now. You don't really want to go to the Olympics like this," emphasized the Salzburg native ahead of her fourth Winter Games. Four years ago, the Radstadt native fulfilled her medal dream in Beijing with bronze in the skiathlon, but now the 33-year-old has been struggling with her health since Monday. "The positive thing is that it was only a slight cold with mild symptoms. Actually, it was just a stuffy nose. Physically, I feel good, but I'm missing the training sessions."

It's annoying and stupid that it happened right now. It's not how you want to go to the Olympics.

Teresa Stadlober

  After arriving a day late, Stadlober is doing everything she can in the Olympic Village to get back into top shape. "Steam helps, inhaling salt, nasal oil, hanging up wet towels" are on her to-do list. On Friday, she will complete her first interval training session to get her body back into shape. "I have to see how it reacts to the strain of racing. It could go well, but it could also go badly," added Stadlober, who now feels a little less pressure. She will not be making any changes to her racing program. "Just because things might go wrong now, it doesn't mean my Games are over. I'm not going to let that get to me."

Vermeulen keeps his chin up
Vermeulen, meanwhile, has no conclusive explanation for his unsatisfactory performances, but the Styrian still believes he can perform well in Tesero. "Of course, it's a bit difficult to be optimistic right now, but I'm not letting my head hang down, it's only just beginning. I did everything right in training, felt good, and was able to stick to the plan, but then my body didn't respond in the races. I assume that everything is in place to do well, but for some reason I haven't been able to deliver in competition in recent weeks," Vermeulen said in an interview with APA.

Mika Vermeulen(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

  Ramsauer, who lives in Norway, is hoping for a turnaround starting on Sunday in Fleimstal. "Things took a turn for the worse very quickly, and I assume that they will take a turn for the better again very quickly." In any case, his first impressions from training were positive. "I feel good. I'm already in Olympic mode. Now it's just a matter of having confidence."

"The body is not a calculator."
Despite his strong start to the season with a third place in Ruka, he is puzzled as to why things didn't work out after an infection around Christmas and a longer training phase. "If I knew, I would have changed it. I did exactly the same thing for a month that I did all summer, in the fall, all year." The 26-year-old, who is coached by his father Vincent, admitted that he had never experienced not getting up to speed in competition in previous years.

  Despite professional training planning and management, even top athletes are not immune to surprises. "The human body is not a calculator. You can't just enter some numbers and get exactly the result you want. Sometimes, and this is the tough thing about top-level sport, you do everything right and still get nothing in return," explained Vermeulen, who came away empty-handed in the previous season after several podium finishes at the World Championships.

Vermeulen on the hunt, Kläbo in top form
Despite the uncertainties, he is not feeling any panic or despair ahead of his second Olympic Games. "Being bad is not an obstacle, being bad is a mishap; an obstacle would be a training accident or an illness. So I've actually had a more or less obstacle-free path, and from that perspective, I'm convinced that anything is still possible. It's not ideal, but it's not like I'm saying, okay, nothing is possible anymore. At the end of the day, you have to believe in it, and I still believe."

Johannes Hösflot Kläbo(Bild: GEPA)

Johannes Hösflot Kläbo is once again in top form as he lines up for the skiathlon on Sunday (12:30 p.m.), where he could win six titles, as he did at the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim. "I like all the races, all six will be important, but the sprint is special for me, I'm really looking forward to it," said Kläbo, who trained in Seefeld and Leutasch in the run-up to the event.