Frank Wörndl in the interview: "In Beijing everything is fake, except for the sport itself"

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What do you think of Olympia in general?

I do not see the fascination of Olympic games. I was as active at three Olympic games and did not even see an Olympic village. I was not an opening or farewell ceremony. It has trained, prepared, but that were stink normal races.

But the games are still something special.

The basic idea of ​​Olympia was actually nice: free to free the world for a few days of her war. I would always hold the summer games in Athens, the winter games in Chamonix. One would have the sports facilities, one would have tradition. But then comes a former fencer like Dr. Thomas Bach, who does not have many skills in the winter sports business, and China expects 300 million winter sports students in the future - Utopian! The Asians do not go out at five degrees plus, that's all laughing.

You yourself have set a curious career. In 1987 they became world champion, 1988 they missed the gold medal by 0.06 seconds. And that, although they have not won a single World Cup.

Such a World Cup Race is harder to win, because only four drivers per nation are allowed to drive in major events. Then, for example, only four good Austrians take place instead of nine. So you have less strong opponents.

When I saw the time debris, I thought: Frank, you are the biggest asshole in this world. Then I congratulated Tomba from the heart.

Frank Wörndl

How was that at Olympia when Alberto Tomba grabbed the gold medal because he was faster a blatter?

I was only third after the first pass first, Tomba. I had him at the time at the time, but the second Jonas Nilsson. I did not know that he was just aft after the second passage. Then I thought: You have already won it, because you drive loose down. On the way I thought: Now you have a bit too slow, you have to give a bit of gas again. In the goal I saw: second. First I thought: After all, a medal. Then I saw the time backrest and thought: Frank, you are the biggest asshole in this world. Then I congratulated Tomba from the heart.

"I did not meet him on the bill": Wörnl congratulates Alberto Tomba to the gold medal. imago sports photo service

Nevertheless, they were always there when it came on it. What was your secret secret?

That started early. In 1978 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen I have become with start number 49 as an 18-year-old tenth in the slalom. For major events I just always have to retrieve my best services.

Debris fraction after race as a teenager

To all their successes would never have never come. As teenagers they had a heavy accident, in which they have completely smashed the thigh.

I was 13. After a race we drove a bet race to the bus with the skis through the forest. We did that sometimes sometimes. I was first - the problem was that on this Saturday the parking lot with cars was parked. I shot out of the forest road, only cars in front of me - no chance anymore. I was six months in bed, then my one leg was shorter than the other one and a half centimeters than the other.

How did this affect your career?

My favorite discipline was actually leaving, I was better. That was after that because I could not slip anymore. In the meantime, I have told it by the way, now I have a long time again.

What is Frank Wörndl today?

I still moderate for Eurosport and worked at Bogner. Since I have just developed and rebuilt a ski for 90 years of Bogner, which builds on the original Olympiaski of Willy Bogner Senior of 1936. For this I make film recordings and take care of the hardware at Bogner. Otherwise, I do a lot of sports and enjoy my private life with my six-year-old daughter. I do not want to stand in public, that's not for me. For example, I have no social media.