Beckham provides Wellinger with a distraction in the centimeter thriller
Another German overall victory at the Four Hills Tournament at last? Andreas Wellinger feeds the hopes of ski jumping fans. The hype surrounding the 28-year-old is huge. But that doesn't faze the Olympic champion. Things are very relaxed in the "cruciate ligament room".
On his way to the Four Hills Tournament victory he is aiming for, Andreas Wellinger also relies on the distraction of soccer icon David Beckham. The four-part Netflix documentary about the sports pop star is part of the evening relaxation program for him and ski jumping colleague Stephan Leyhe - even before the third stop at the infamous Bergisel, where German tour dreams have turned into nightmares on several occasions. As self-confident as Beckham once was on the grass, Wellinger is not impressed by this history. He doesn't want to know anything about a so-called fateful hill.
"I can do relatively little with that," says the great German jumping hopeful ahead of the third act of the tour on the notorious facility in Innsbruck, which begins with the qualification (1.30 pm/ZDF/Eurosport and in the ntv.de live ticker). The wind-prone hill, on which the fallen Richard Freitag, Karl Geiger and Markus Eisenbichler, among others, have already lost their Tournament chances, is to be the penultimate step for Wellinger on the way to the really big triumph. "I am delighted. I'm no more worried than usual," says the leader in the tour rankings.
Hannawald comparisons make Wellinger proud
At the big highlight of the season, the 28-year-old's relaxed attitude is palpable. Wellinger is relaxed as he signs autographs on the ski jumps, takes photos with fans and jokes with support staff and colleagues. He is clearly aware of the hype surrounding him as the potential successor to the last German tour champion to date, Sven Hannawald.
But it doesn't bother him. "I'm proud to be in this position," says Wellinger. When spectators on the ski jump euphorically scream his name during interviews long after the competitions, he waves and smiles. He is not annoyed.
His eventful career has made him stronger. Anyone who, like him, suffers a cruciate ligament rupture after an Olympic victory, fights his way back for years and then finds his way back to the top of the world, contrary to many experts' predictions: He believes in himself and doesn't let himself get rattled so quickly. "I've learned over the last few years that I can only put the pressure on myself," says Wellinger.
The "cruciate ligament room"
His buddy Leyhe jokingly refers to their double room as the "cruciate ligament room" because both have already overcome their knee injuries. Wellinger jokes around with him and behaves as he always does during the tour, says Leyhe. And Geiger, who has also known Wellinger for years, says: "He is very relaxed and knows exactly how to go with the flow. I really think he's going to rock this thing."
Wellinger is 1.8 points, the equivalent of one meter, ahead of Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi at the halfway point. "It's great when you're leading in the overall standings. But in the end it all comes down to the wire," he says. "The trick is to make the fewest mistakes of all until the last jump."
Like Wellinger, national coach Stefan Horngacher is not impressed by the latest German tour stories in Innsbruck. "The Bergisel doesn't bother us at all," he said. "We train there a lot - especially Andi, who lives nearby." Wellinger's home town of Ruhpolding is less than two hours' drive from Innsbruck. The 54-year-old Horngacher does not want to know anything about a fateful hill: "A fateful hill is any hill. Wherever you make mistakes, you lose points."
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Andreas Wellinger, despite the high expectations, remains unfazed by the history ofacing challenges at the Bergisel during the Four Hills Tournament. He and his ski jumping teammate Stephan Leyhe relax by watching a Netflix documentary featuring soccer icon David Beckham before the third stop of the tour.
Andreas Wellinger, having overcome various challenges in his career, including a cruciate ligament rupture, remains confident in his abilities and does not let the hype surrounding him as a potential successor to Sven Hannawald affect his performance.
Source: www.ntv.de
