Jan Henric Buettner, prime contractor and sponsor of the Freestyle Grand Slam, expressed his astonishment at Niemann’s no-show for the Paris tournament.
According to Buettner, discussions with the American player had been fluid after his invitation was received (wild card). But on April 05, Niemann ignored an invitation from the players, as well as a direct reminder from Buettner later that day.
In the evening, tournament director Sebastian Siebrecht received an e-mail (not a WhatsApp message, as usual) in which Niemann referred to “negotiations with a replacement player”. Buettner’s requests for clarification via WhatsApp went unanswered.
A disruptive announcement
Buettner had to manage in a hurry:
- Replacing a key player.
- A complex logistical readjustment.
At this stage, the reason for the express withdrawal had not even been discussed. The Norwegian platform TV2 put forward the hypothesis of strict anti-cheat protocols of the tournament as an explanation. Buettner qualifies: these measures had been known to Niemann for months, and it was his intention to take them into account. restore your image by a highly supervised performance.
