Fischer - A Season With An Abrupt Ending That Was Still A Sporting Success

Although the season came to an unexpectedly abrupt end, for reasons we’ve come to know all too well, there was one clear element of continuity: the success of the Fischer Race Family goes on. This makes it eleven times in a row, starting with the 09l10 season, that Fischer has been the most successful ski and boot brand in the World Cup. Now in the third year of TURNAMIC®, Fischer also offers far and away the most successful binding setup.

The numbers speak for themselves. In 156 separate individual events of the 19l20 season in the Nordic disciplines of Cross-Country, Biathlon, Ski Jumping, and Nordic Combined, athletes from the Fischer Race Family stood on the podium 307 times. They totaled 111 World Cup victories, 108 second place finishes, and 88 third places. On top of that, they garnered five of the seven large crystal globes awarded to Overall World Cup winners, as well as eight of the thirteen smaller crystal globes awarded for the separate discipline World Cups. In the four Nordic disciplines 65.5% of all podium spots were taken with Fischer skis and boots, with 84.7% of them won with the TURNAMIC  binding setup.

Biathlon

The season finale of Biathlon was high drama, as Norway’s Johannes Thingnes Bø* needed a flawless final shooting round to claim the season-ending win. His ten Word Cup victories were enough for the spectacular Norwegian to repeat as the Overall World Cup winner, despite missing four competitions in January while on parental leave. A successful World Championships in Antholz, Italy in February and a win in the World Cup Mass Start make for an impressive season résumé. Quentin Fillon Maillet* of France also had to be pleased with his overall strong season, plus three World Championships medals and a third place finish in the Overall World Cup, just ahead of Norway’s Tarjei Bø*.

The neck-and-neck battle for the large crystal globe among the women also came down to the final shooting round. Norway’s Tiril Eckhoff* threw away her chance for victory with three penalty laps and had to be content with second place in the Overall World Cup. As a consolation prize, however, she did take home the small crystal globe for winning the Pursuit World Cup. Strong finishes by Germany’s Denise Herrmann* and Sweden’s Hanna Öberg* in the season finale gave them third and fourth place respectively in the Overall World Cup. They also took home the small crystal globes for victories in Sprint and Individual World Cup.

Cross-Country

The women’s World Cup clearly belonged to Therese Johaug* of Norway, and the abrupt ending of the season did not change that in any way. The phenomenal winter sports competitor celebrated 17 Word Cup wins alongside her Tour de Ski title and convincingly skied away with the Overall World Cup as well as the Distance World Cup. Just behind her in second and third place were Norway’s Heidi Weng* and Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva*. After missing the start of the season with health issues, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg* of Norway came back strongly to earn a fifth place finish. Linn Svahn** of Sweden took the title of Fastest Sprinter in her very first complete World Cup season. Three individual wins gave her the small crystal globe in the Sprint Word Cup ahead of Jonna Sundling** of Sweden, Anamarija Lampic* of Slovenia, Maiken Caspersen Falla* of Norway, and Natalia Nepryaeva*.

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo* of Norway was unbeatable in Word Cup sprints in the 19l20 season. Eight victories in eight starts earned him the small crystal globe as Best Sprinter for the fourth time in succession, well ahead of Norway’s Erik Valnes*. The young Norwegian star took second place in the Overall World Cup. Iivo Niskanen* of Finland and Hans Christer Holund* of Norway had successful finishes to their first seasons on Fischer equipment, taking sixth and seventh place.

The cancellation of the final races in Scandinavia of the VISMA Ski Classics series was an abrupt end to an overall very successful season for the Fischer Race Family in long distance racing. Britta Johansson Norgren (Lager 157 Ski Team)*, Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes (Team Koteng)* and Katerina Smutna (ED System Bauer Team)* made it a clean sweep in the overall women’s standings. On the men’s side, Andreas Nygaard (Team Ragde Eiendom)* repeated as overall champion, followed by teammate Tord Asle Gjerdalen*. Fischer athletes took the remaining seven spots in places four through ten.

Ski Jumping

Even without the final event of the season, the Ski Flying World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, the excellent consistency of Austrian Stefan Kraft’s fifteen podium finishes in the 19l20 season earned him the Overall World Cup in Ski Jumping ahead of Germany’s Karl Geiger*** and at the same time he secured the small crystal globe for winning the Ski Flying World Cup. For the third time in a row Norway’s Maren Lundby*** took the Overall World Cup on the women’s side, ahead of Austria’s Chiara Hölzl***.

Nordic Combined

Another sudden end to a season, this time due to snow conditions in Schonach, Germany, ultimately had no bearing on the race for the Nordic Combined title. Fourteen wins in seventeen races ensured Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber* easily claimed the crystal globe already after the Oslo race ahead of countryman Jørgen Grabaak*, followed by Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger*, and another Norwegian, Jens Luraas Oftebro*.

* Achieved with Fischer skis, bindings and boots

** Achieved with Fischer skis and bindings

*** Achieved with Fischer skis