News Archive
Posted 14/02/14
Schwäbisch Gmünd have their very own Olympic Gold medal winner.
A dream come true:
Schwäbisch Gmünd girl Carina Vogt achieves Olympic Gold Ski jumper Carina Vogt from Degenfeld Sports Club in Schwäbisch Gmünd wins in Sochi — simply an incredible achievement.
22-year-old Carina Vogt won a Gold medal on Tuesday 11 February and with it the fourth German victory in Sochi. Her grandiose flight show during the Olympic premiere of the women's ski jump discipline was the fulfilment of her sporting dreams.
She had never won a world cup and it was a total surprise that she beat ex World Champion Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (Austria) and Caroline Mattel (France), even favourite Sara Takanashi (Japan) had to contend with the fourth place.
In the first run of this historic day she achieved the best distance with 103 metres.
There had been high hopes for a medal among the crowd at the special public viewing held in the city hall of Degenfeld.
Many in the society will remember this is a place we have celebrated numerous reunions of our twin town societies.
During the first run Schwäbisch Gmünd council officer for sports kept Oberbürgermeister Richard Arnold and mayor Joachim Bläse up to date by phone on the latest developments. When Carina found herself in first place after the first run, Richard Arnold and Joachim Bläse left a meeting on the Landesgartenschau to join the crowd in Degenfeld and the tense atmosphere there.
........... more than 250 fans gather for the Special public viewing
held in the city hall in Degenfeld
After Carina Vogt’s run there was total silence while people nervously awaited the result.
When “First place” was announced the 250 + fans of the girl from Waldstetten fell into each other’s arms and could scarcely believe what had happened.
Her last jump in the evening came to 97.5 metres but she did not lose her nerve, defending her pole position – it was a slim lead of only 1.2 points on fierce rival Iraschko-Stolz.
The Austrian competitor only managed fifth place after the first run but in the final run achieved the best distance of the day with 104.5 metres.
Carina Vogt managed a far better landing on the snow and took the overall victory.
Mother Iris Vogt had tears in her eyes: “I am incredibly proud of Carina!”
Women’s ski jumping had its premiere during the World Cup in 2009 but was rejected several times for inclusion in the Olympics by the IOC.
In Sochi there were only 30 competitors in total, half of them teenagers.
It is a very new discipline and the only competition Carina Vogt will participate in at the winter games.
For 2018 in Pyeongchang the female ski jumpers hope that the mixed competition with a team made up of two men and two women respectively will be included as an Olympic sport.
Oberbürgermeister Richard Arnold promised to arrange a big reception on the town hall balcony so that everyone could have a
good look at their very own Schwäbisch Gmünd “Olympic Champion”.
