Holmenkollen Medal for Johannes Rydzek

Great honor for the Nordic Combined athlete Johannes Rydzek.

The 30-year-old from Oberstdorf was awarded the Holmenkollen Medal at the World Cup competitions in Oslo (NOR) last weekend. Actually, the honor to the German athlete of the year from 2017 should have been made last year, but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 1895, the Holmenkollen Medal has been awarded by the Norwegian Ski Association for outstanding achievements in international skiing events. Among winter sports enthusiasts, the award is considered the Oscar of skiing.

After his two Olympic victories in 2018 and a total of six world championship titles, Johannes Rydzek was selected as the 2021 prizewinner. Together with Norwegian ski jumper Maren Lundby, the Swiss cross-country skier Dario Cologna and the Norwegian biathlete Johannes Thingnes Boe, he was presented with the medal in Oslo.

Before Johannes Rydzek, only 12 German skiers received this legendary award. In 1960, ski jumper Helmut Recknagel was the first to be honored. This was followed by Georg Thoma (1964), Franz Keller (1973), Gerhard Grimmer (1975), Ulrich Wehling (1976), Hermann Weinbuch (1987), Jens Weißflog (1991), Ronny Ackermann (2003), Andrea Henkel and Michael Greis ( both 2011), Magdalena Neuner (2012) and Eric Frenzel (2014).

Source: 24 passion / Jens Zimmermann