Nordic combined: Gold medalist Frenzel set to miss large hill event

[February 17, 2014]  ROSA KHUTOR, Russia (Reuters) — Olympic Nordic combined gold medalist Eric Frenzel of Germany is set to miss Tuesday's large hill event because of a virus, officials said on Monday.

"I think there is little chance he will compete," team coach Herman Weinbuch told reporters. "It's very hard to race here so he must be strong. You only have a chance when you have all your power."

Frenzel fell sick on Saturday and has not trained since. A doctor will take the final decision on Tuesday before the event which starts at 0930 GMT/0430 ET.

Frenzel, the world number one, won the individual normal hill event easily last week. If he drops out the large hill gold is likely to be contested by Japan's Akito Watabe and Norway's Magnus Krog, who came second and third in the normal hill.

Defending Olympic champion Bill Demong has been struggling with a persistent cough and says he is an outsider.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; editing by Robert Woodward)

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