Iwould like to express my thanks to the athletes who have placed their trust in our products and the ingenuity of our employees in their respective events. Their physical and mental commitment in training and competition which led to the sensational achievements at the Olympic Games in Sochi gives the Fischer products the showcase they deserve,” says company figurehead Josef “Pepi” Fischer.
Prior to Sochi the record held by the Nordic team stands at 74 medals, set at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. In the runup to the Games, hardly anyone dares to hope that this mark could be equalled or even beaten. Fischer manages to do so in style and even passes the magic figure of 100 medals. In the end, 38 gold, 34 silver and 31 bronze medals are awarded to Fischer athletes – more than ever before in the history of Nordic skiing. This astounding success spans all four Nordic sports.
In cross country skiing in the skiathlon and individual events (classic style) all the places on the podium except for one are taken by Fischer athletes. In the men’s skiathlon a remarkable 17 out of the best 20 achieve their results with Fischer equipment. And, leading the field, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna who, a mere three months after his severe ankle injury, is rewarded with two gold medals for his enormous efforts in the rehabilitation phase. Besides the strong Swedish team, headed by triple medallist Charlotte Kalla with two-times medal winner Emil Jönsson, Johan Olsson and Daniel Richardsson, it is Norway’s Marit Bjørgen who once again leaves her mark on the races. The outstanding athlete from Norway with the ski and boot package from Fischer crowns herself the best Olympic cross country skier of all time with her three gold medals.
Biathlon also sees a woman in the bright lights: Belorussian athlete Darya Domracheva earns a place in the history books by taking three Olympic gold medals. The strong Czech team also draws attention to itself, with silver for a Fischer-only team in the mixed relay plus four individual medals for Gabriela Soukalova (silver),Ondrej Moravec (silver, bronze) and Jaroslav Soukup (bronze). The crowning glory comes at the end with Olympic victory for the Fischer relay teams of the Ukrainian women and Russian men.
Fischer likewise clearly rules the skies in ski jumping. Germany’s Carina Vogt earns herself a place in the history books as the first female to win in ski jumping at the Olympics. Poland’s Kamil Stoch stands out in impressive style as the king of the skies with Olympic victory on both hills. The king of hearts, however, is Noriaki Kasai of Japan. The experienced 41-year-old wins silver in the individual competition on the large hill and bronze in the team event to show that he is still a force to be reckoned with. Kasai announces that he intends to participate in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
The dominant colours in the Nordic combined are likewise yellow and black. Thirteen of the eighteen medals to be won go to athletes who place their trust in Fischer’s equipment. Leading the way the two Olympic winners on the small and the large hill: Eric Frenzel of Germany and Jørgen Graabak of Norway, plus the silver-winning team from Germany which is successful with jumping and cross country skis and cross country boots all from Fischer.
The Alpine athletes win five medals in three sports. In the classic Alpine disciplines Austrian racer Nicole Hosp wins silver in the super combined and bronze in the super-G while Croatia’s Ivic´a Kostelic´ picks up silver in the super combined. In ski cross it is Frenchman Jonathan Midol who takes the sporting world by surprise with a bronze medal. But the one who causes the real sensation is a cowboy who simply has fun doing his sport. Joss Christensen of the USA secures gold for the coolest run in freeski slopestyle, earning himself a place in the history books as the first Olympic champion in this discipline.
The entire Fischer team once again presents itself as the most successful ski and boot brand at the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi. Achievements which are possible only if the entire Fischer family pulls together. “What my father began with so much ambition and I continued with relentless assertiveness, I was able to place in your hands some years ago,” says Josef Fischer, conveying his gratitude to his staff. “Every single one of you, from development to production, the racing service team, administration, management, members of the supervisory and advisory boards and all those I cannot mention by name here due to lack of space, is ‘responsible’ for the fact that we can say that we thoroughly deserve these medals. People still talk about the ‘Fischer family’ – we are the only family-owned company in the business – and I am delighted that this has been the case for so many years and hope with all my heart that it will stay that way!”
