Lindvik feared ski flying – now he is the world’s best – VG

Updated less than 40 minutes ago

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– This year I have much more confidence and security in jumping. Then it is much easier to get up, give the iron and just cuddle. I did not feel like I was there before. I felt a little insecure about jumping, an outspoken Marius Lindvik tells VG.

Three years ago, he fell badly on the ski flying slope in Planica, Slovenia. At around 120 km / h he thumped on the ground and sent a shudder through the Norwegian jumping camp.

With a swollen lip, an abrasion on his chin and a slightly sore back, Lindvik got up on the plain in the giant hill. Almost a miracle, said those who had witnessed the fall.

In the sport of jumping, there is often talk of overcoming fear as quickly as possible, but behind the security he radiated to the outside world, there was a greater uncertainty. The year after the fall, it was the World Cup in Planica. Lindvik chose to retire.

– He was a little scared, national team coach Alexander Stöckl tells VG.

– It is one of the toughest decisions he has made, and which is most respected. It was very bravely done, says national team manager Clas Brede Bråthen.

Lindvik took action after the fear arose. Over time, he has built up a robust mentality and risen to become one of the world’s best ski pilots.

– I have worked on, both physically and mentally, to be well prepared, he says.

– The most important thing is to keep your heart rate down. I focus on the work tasks, he says about his own preparations.

Stöckl also believes that it is a completely different Lindvik we see today, both personally and technically.

– He has found out about ski flying, he was not good at that in the beginning. Then he has taken step by step, never given up, and gotten to where he is now. It is a completely different ski pilot we see now than two years ago, the coach believes.

On Saturday, the 23-year-old won World Cup gold in Vikersund in front of an ecstatic home crowd. But in the boil, no one was calmer than the main character himself. During the World Cup competition, Lindvik has delivered four stable, very good jumps.

Now the fear is out of my mind.

– He succeeds in being 100 percent focused, 100 percent in his own bubble, and does not let himself be disturbed by what is happening around him. He does not think ahead in time or consequences, he thinks here and now, says Stöckl.

Although the fall and the previous fear of ski flying was a bump in the road, the Austrian believes that Lindvik was born to be a “cold fish”.

– I think he is like that by nature. He always has been. He is always focused, but it also costs a lot. He is very tired after such a type of competition, but also very good at relaxing in between. It is a good balance, he says.

– He handled his fear of Planica in the right way. It may come back, so we’ll hope he handles it right again. Because if you are not safe, you should not engage in this. Then you will stand over, as he did in Planica, says Bråthen.

After the gold jump, the teammates stood and received Lindvik at the bottom of the hill. The joy was apparently as great among them as with the winner.

– Everyone knows ski flying nerves. But he knows that when he delivers his best jumps, it can be like today, says Johann André Forfang, who finished in 10th place.

– It is a culture and an environment that it is good to be in. We stand together in times of adversity. I feel very safe in that environment and I hope others do too, says Bråthen.

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