European Championships relay: Joy and sorrow for Switzerland
Posted on | May 20, 2012 | Category: News
Martin Hubmann celebrates when Matthias Kyburz finishes just before Anders Holmberg, Sweden, and Francois Gonon, France. Photo: Erik Borg
The Swiss audience was screaming with joy after Switzerland’s second team won the European Championships men’s relay. But it was joy mixed with pain: half an hour earlier Daniel Hubmann, the number one star in Swiss men’s 1st team, had finished with big pain in his foot.
Victorious Switzerland 2
On the last leg of the men’s relay six teams ran together most of the time. About one kilometer before the finish there were three teams left – Matthias Kyburz, Switzerland 2, Anders Holmberg, Sweden 2, and Francois Gonon, France.
On the way downhill in the pine forest just close to the ski jumping hill in Falund was where it was all decided: the last leg runner for Switzerland 2, Matthias Kyburz, just went straight. The other two ran a little around so they didn’t have to jump over the fence. When interviewed, Kyburz showed first that the fence was higher than him – before admitting that it maybe was just one and a half meter. Anyway, he made a terrific jump and got the difference to the other teams, and gold for Switzerland! On second place was Sweden 2, and France – without Thierry Gueorgiou – took third place.
In the winning team ran Martin Hubmann, Matthias Müller, and Matthias Kyburz. Kyburz had problems with injuries just before the championships. “I’m getting better and better now”, he smiles. Today he was the best!
Switzerland 1 – possibly no World Championships for Hubmann
Daniel Hubmann ran the second leg for the first team of Switzerland in the very tight relay at Lugnet skistadium in Falun. In the end of the leg, just before the last 100 metres to the finish line, something happened to him. With big pain he managed to finish the last hundred meters. He lay with hands over his face when he was carried out from the arena. If the problem is, as it seems, the achilles tendon, it will mean that Daniel Hubmann will miss the World Championships on home ground in July.
For results, maps, gps tracking and videos, please visit the event website.
Matthias Müller, Matthias Kyburz and Martin Hubmann celebrating their victory in the European Championships relay.
Photo: Erik Borg
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