Sport Ambassadors
Top athletes from Oberstdorf support the World Championships
We are proud to have four sport ambassadors from Oberstdorf. Johannes Rydzek, Katharina Althaus, Vinzenz Geiger und Karl Geiger will support the OC to promote these World Championships.
All four of them have the talent and power to fight for medals in 2021.
Johannes Rydzek - Nordic Combined
Name: Johannes Rydzek
Sport: Nordic Combined
Birthday: 09. December 1991
Club: Skiclub 1906 Oberstdorf e.V.
Biggest Achievements:
- Olympic Games: 2x Gold, 1x Silver, 1x Bronze
- World Championships: 6x Gold, 4x Silver, 1x Bronze
- World Cup victories: 25x (17x Individual, 8x Team)
Johannes loves his homeland and the mountains of the Allgäu. Already as a child he was enthusiastic about cross-country and alpine skiing. At a young age, Johannes decided to give Nordic Combined a go and was soon successful. First World Cup start with 16 years, first Olympic medal with 18, three times silver at world champs with 19, second Olympic medal with 22 and with 25 years six-time World Champion. Personally, he enjoys spending time with his wife Lissi, his friends and family. For the time after his sport career he studies engineering economics in Kempten.
Vinzenz Geiger - Nordic Combined
Name: Vinzenz Geiger
Sport: Nordic Combined
Birthday: 24. July 1997
Club: Skiclub 1906 Oberstdorf e.V.
Biggest Achievements:
- Olympic Games: 1x Gold
- World Championships: 1x Silver
- Junior World Championships: 1x Gold, 2x Silver
- World Cup victories: 5x (3x Individual, 2x Team)
Vinzenz is one of the rising stars in Nordic Combined World Cup. With no start at the world champs 2017 in Lahti, he crowned himself an Olympic Champion with the German team at his first start at the Olympic Games. Also in the World Cup he is becoming more and more a top contender to show his team-mates Eric Frenzel and Johannes Rydzek where his way should go – on the podium. As a big football fan sport is a big part of his life.
Katharina Althaus - Ski Jumping
Name: Katharina Althaus
Sport: Ski Jumping
Birthday: 23. May 1996
Club: Skiclub 1906 Oberstdorf e.V.
Biggest Achievements:
- Olympic Games: 1x Silver
- World Championships: 3x Gold, 1x Silver
- World Cup victories: 9x (7x Individual, 2x Team)
With only 5 years she started her career as a skijumper. In her second Olympic Games she could fullfill her dream of a medal. After a slightly disappointing 23rd in Sotchi 2014, she had an almost perfect day in Pyeongchang to win the silver medal. Combined with the gold medal in the mixed team event at the world champs 2015 her biggest succes, until Seefeld 2019: Silver single competition, Gold Team competition, Gold Mixed Team competition. With these achievements, she will be a big contender for Oberstdorf 2021.
Karl Geiger - Ski Jumping
Name: Karl Geiger
Sport: Ski Jumping
Birthday: 11. February 1993
Club: Skiclub 1906 Oberstdorf e.V.
Biggest Achievements:
- Olympic Games: 1x Silver
- World Championships: 2x Gold, 1x Silver
- World Cup victories: 10x (6x Individual, 4x Team)
His desired super power: Flying. With a personal best of 243,5 Meters it`s not only a wish but more a quality. With strong performances in the World Cup and a lot of work, he was able to fullfill his dream of an Olympic medal to win the silver medal in the Team competition in Pyeongchang. His biggest achievement were definitely the three medals in Seefeld 2019: two times Gold (Team Competition and Mixed Team) and a Silver medal from the big hill. His goal is clear: prepare as good as possible for the World Championships in his hometown to fight again for the top spot.
Hanna Kolb
Name: Hanna Kolb
Sport: Cross-Country Skiing (end of career 2018)
Birthday: 21. August 1991
Club: TSV Buchenberg
Biggest Achievements:
- Olympic Games: three participations (2010, 2014, 2018)
- World Championships: 1x Gold at U23-WC, two participations in 2013 and 2017
At the age of 10 the cross-country career of Hanna started, at first just for fun, but only one year later with competitions and more training. From that point on, her career started and after competing in the German youth cup the next step were the Junior World Championships at the age of 16. The sprint specialist crowned herself World Champion in the under-23 category. Three participations at Olympic Games and two at World Championships followed in the elite category. After the 2018 season Hanna retired from competitve sport and from now on supports her former colleagues as spectator.
Tobias Angerer
Name: Tobias Angerer
Sport: Cross-Country Skiing
Birthday: 12. April 1977
Club: SC Vachendorf
Biggest Achievements:
- Olympic Games: 2x Silber, 2x Bronze
- World Championships: 4x Silber, 2x Bronze
- World Cup victories: 16x
With two years the young boy from Traunstein stood the first time on cross-country skis. And from that point on his career went straight to the top of the sport world. In 2004 he celebrated his first World Cup victory in Falun, followed by two overall World Cup victories in 2005/06 and 2006/07. Another big success was the victory in the first ever FIS Tour de Ski in 2006/07. The congenial sportsman achieved a total of 11 World Cup victories. Still, cross-country skiing and winter sport are a big part of his life, like as vice president of the German Ski Federation.
