The triple champion in the role of the hunter

Since the end of November, the season in Nordic combined has been running and the Austrians can be very satisfied. Five athletes are represented among the top 20 in the men's category. (Almost) at the top is Johannes Lamparter, who gives me a satisfied impression during our conversation: "I've started the season well and we've done a really good job at the hill. In the first two competitions, we had a few problems with the equipment, but we managed to get those under control quickly." Especially when he talks about the last race, he starts to smile: "The last two home victories in Ramsau were of course cool, I can't imagine anything better. I saw that if everything comes together, I can be competitive against (Jarl Magnus) Riiber." The athlete from Hall sees the triple winner from 2020 and 2021 as the competitor to beat this year: "I believe that he is still setting the tone at the moment, but he is beatable, as we have seen. Overall, I am super happy with how the season is going so far."

With the Triple Trophy 2023 and the overall World Cup victory last year, I allowed myself to ask whether he still does not see himself as the benchmark in the combination event. To this, I received a clear answer: "No, certainly not yet. You can see from the overall World Cup that he (Jarl Magnus Riiber) is in the lead and I am in second place. I know it is still like this, when he does his stuff and starts to perfect it, then he is really hard to beat. But: He can be beaten! For that to happen, everything needs to come together for me. This has worked a few times already, but nevertheless, there are still reserves on my side. We will now try to utilize those."

When we started talking about the past season, of course, I wanted to know how it was for the then 21-year-old Johannes Lamparter to lift the Triple Cup in front of the home fans. "I have to say: It wasn't easy at all. I stood there on Sunday morning and knew: I really want to win this. I knew I was in great shape, but at the same time, I was totally in tunnel vision to block out everything around me and focus on the race. I also tried to transform all the surrounding pressure into positive energy, but I still felt an insane amount of pressure that I had to perform now. After all, family and friends were there, and the thought of winning the Triple at home was present." Apparently, the external influences didn’t affect him much: "Then to perform under that pressure on Sunday, that was certainly one of my best competitions ever – I won't forget that anytime soon. Standing up there, hearing the anthem, and seeing so many people I know in front of me, that was something very special."

At the end of the season, the young Tyrolean not only had the triple but also the overall World Cup in his pocket. Since I couldn't imagine this feeling at all, I had to ask him about his emotions at that moment: "It's different than, for example, the triple. When you win the World Cup, the feelings don't really come all at once in one day. They come together from the whole season, which takes a bit longer to process. I remembered the bad start to the season, an incredibly good January and February, and a World Championship that was so-so. It's just a different feeling compared to, for example, the triple in Seefeld - everything has to come together on day X. On the day you win the overall World Cup, you can simply say you were the best throughout the whole season; that's something a bit more special and the biggest thing you can win in my sport, I believe." After this answer, I had to dig deeper and ask about the exact moment when he received the crystal ball: "The moment you get the ball in your hand, it's definitely a relief, and it feels like a thousand chains are flying away because you have been under full pressure and stress until the last competition. When all that falls away, it's really nice."

After a short trip into the past, I wanted to know from the defending champion what it takes to repeat such a success: "In jumping, you have to be right at the front. In the race, you have to be ready for anything. Bringing a lead to the finish line or making a decision on the last climb, both are possible. A basic requirement for me is that I am up front in jumping. My cross-country skiing form gives me a positive feeling, and then I just need the right day to be ready to push my limits."

Because we met during a training session in Seefeld, I would like to know from Johannes what a typical week in the season looks like for him: "Usually it is like this: on Monday you come home from the World Cup or use it as a rest day to relax and recover. Then it continues with strength training, cross-country skiing sessions, and sometimes ski jumping as well. On Thursday, it already starts again with the World Cup journey. On Friday, it's all about training, training, training, and Saturday and Sunday are competition days. On Monday, you go home again for the rest day. It’s really always the same cycle. Of course, if there’s a break, you have more time to train but also to recover – you always have to make sure that the balance is right. There isn’t much time left for leisure during this time."

When I watch the combiners on television, I always see very strained and concentrated faces. Therefore, I would like to know how my conversation partner assesses the mental part of his sports: "I would definitely describe the mental role as very significant. Everything has to come together in a tenth of a second at the takeoff, and the mental aspect makes a big difference. I truly believe that the mental role is greater in jumping. Of course, you also have to be mentally ready for cross-country skiing in order to endure the pain. And then you can do it. Generally, a lot happens in the mind in life and especially in sports." When I asked how many percent he would assign to the mental part, I received a surprising answer: "I would say that in these two sports, especially at the world-class level, it is often the mind that decides the victory. I would certainly attribute 20 to 30 percent to the mental component."

To close the circle, I ask Johannes how he is preparing for Seefeld 2024: "The most important thing is to be fit and healthy so that you can put all your energy into that weekend. It's not really the preparations that are crucial, but rather how you manage from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday. Two competitions are normal for us; we can handle that, but with the three in Seefeld, it is especially important to distribute your energy well throughout the weekend. You also need to be able to give 100 percent on Sunday. Of course, it's the same for everyone, but the triple is definitely more exhausting than a 'normal' weekend."

At the end of our conversation, I ask the reigning triple champion for a message to the fans: "I can only recommend the triple in Seefeld to everyone. The goosebump moments I experienced last year, with so many people and also while watching – it's just exciting to experience it all. This year we are really good as a whole team and I feel really ready myself. We can use every thumbs-up again to be able to stand on top together in the end."