- Carsten Sostmeier on Julia Krajewski and her golden Olympic moments
Carsten Sostmeier (64) is the Voice of Equestrian Sports on German TV. At the Olympic Games in Paris, he commented on all the gold moments of the German equestrian stars – celebrating and suffering with them. Often praised, he also has to face criticism. Especially one verbal slip-up still follows him today.
"I've Never Seen an Audience This Fair"
Carsten Sostmeier has just returned from France when we reach him. Still filled with the impressions and successes of the German equestrian stars. "It was a fascinating atmosphere. I've never seen an audience this fair. The spectators welcomed the riders back to the box with warm applause, regardless of whether their round was perfect or not," he raves. The Olympic Games in Paris were his eighth time at the microphone. And it's sentences like these that make equestrian sports a unique experience even for laypeople: "Ride, you have it in front of you, the Arc de Triomphe of golden emotions. Go for the crown of equestrianism!" That's how he commented on show jumper Michael Jung's gold medal. Sostmeier is literally out of the saddle when the German equestrian stars win medals. But he's also out of the saddle when things don't go as planned.
A Verbal Slip-Up
A verbal slip-up happened eight years ago and still follows him today. Sostmeier: "I will be ashamed of how I behaved in 2016 towards Julia Krajewski for the rest of my life."
What happened: Before the then debutant Julia Krajewski even started in the cross-country event at the Olympic Games, he talked her down, saying she was likely to have a "brown streak in her pants" and that "it couldn't get much worse – the only thing left is for her to drop out." Subsequently, he faced criticism from riders and his own ranks. "Anyone who knows me knows that this still accompanies me every day – just like no beautiful golden moment in my life does. But I will always hold it against myself," he explains.
Sostmeier: "Equestrian Sports are My Life!"
A slip-up that might also affect him because he loves equestrian sports so much. "I was lucky enough as a child to have the opportunity to ride thanks to my parents. I've always been a very animal-loving person." But it's the horses that have ignited his passion.
"Equestrian sports are not my job, but my life," he explains. He is involved with horses, riders, and equestrians 365 days a year. His archive lists over 2300 active athletes from the three Olympic disciplines, "which I update every week. I also inform myself about breeding and read many articles," and adds: "When I then sit down at the microphone, that's when I come alive."
He doesn't prepare certain sentences beforehand and doesn't need notes. "I'm an equestrian sports commentator, not an actor. I'm just a bit more emotional – especially when I see a perfect connection between rider and horse." He can't fake that and it's not a stylistic device. He doesn't want to become his own brand. "The Sostmeier comments for the horses, for equestrian sports, for the viewers who are there on the screens – and not for me."
This article was first published on RTL.de
Carsten Sostmeier's passion for equestrian sports extends beyond his commentary role, as he often engages with horses and riders outside of his work. During the Olympic Games in Paris, he expressed his excitement about the fair-minded audience and their supportive cheers for the German equstrian stars, whether their rounds were successful or not.
Despite his love for equestrian sports, Sostmeier still grapples with the consequences of a verbal slip-up he made eight years ago, which involved criticizing a young rider before her event, causing her distress and prompting backlash from both the rider and other equestrian community members.
