Four Hills Tournament - "Great, keep going": Wellinger remains at the top
Andreas Wellinger was still grinning and signing autographs during the patience game in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. When the next podium finish was perfect, Germany's great hope in the Four Hills Tournament of ski jumpers beamed with satisfaction.
"That was a very good start to the new year. I hope that the best ski jumper wins. The starting position is really good, keep going," said the 28-year-old after the New Year's competition, which he finished in third place behind Slovenia's Anze Lanisek and Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi after a long wait due to the wind conditions.
Wellinger vs. Kobayashi: This duel should keep the 72nd Tour busy at the final two stages in Innsbruck and Bischofshofen. Wellinger is the first German since Sven Hannawald in 2002 to lead the overall standings at the halfway point.
"Very satisfied"
With the mini cushion of 1.8 points (exactly one meter), he also wants to repeat Hannawald's triumph back then and redeem Germany after 22 years without a title at the hill spectacle around the turn of the year. "I really think he's going to rock this thing," said team-mate Karl Geiger.
With his attempts at 138 and 137.5 meters, Wellinger once again proved his strong nerves. "Andi Wellinger jumped great today and landed great, that was the most important thing. He did a great job. The jumps were at a very high level. I'm very happy with third place," said national coach Stefan Horngacher on ZDF. There hasn't been a German victory to start the year since Hannawald 22 years ago. This time they were 2.5 meters short of the strong winner Lanisek.
Kraft loses a lot of points
Of the trio of Wellinger, Kobayashi and Stefan Kraft, the latter has only been distanced once. "It will be a duel until Bischofshofen," predicted head coach Horngacher, describing the Bergisel in Innsbruck on ZDF as a "stopover" on the way to the grand final. Top favorite Kraft did not have to accept a heavy defeat in Garmisch this time as in previous years, but lost further important points in the fight for the title after finishing sixth. He remains third in the rankings, but is already almost 15 meters behind.
Wellinger seemed enthusiastic and relaxed. He is now heading to Austria "with extremely good feelings", said the man from Ruhpoldingen after two emotional home games. First the success in front of 25,500 spectators in Oberstdorf, now another podium finish in front of - according to the organizers - a record crowd of 21,000 fans on New Year's Day. "The score is on paper. The important thing is that I continue to ski jump like this," added Wellinger.
The qualification in Innsbruck continues on Tuesday (13:30/ZDF and Eurosport). It is the dreaded Bergisel ski jump that has repeatedly caused Germany's eagles heavy defeats in recent years and has often marked the end of the fight for the golden eagle.
Flying qualities and high approach speed
In 2024, the New Year's Ski Jump, which has often been lacklustre in terms of atmosphere in recent years, turned into a real party. On the first morning of the new year, local brass bands provided an excellent atmosphere. The sea of black, red and gold flags was accompanied by glorious sunshine and hits from Helene Fischer and Safri Duo. The ski jumping enthusiasm, additionally fueled by Wellinger's opening success, was on full display at the start of the new year.
"A victory like that in Oberstdorf is something very special. You have to let the emotions come out a bit. You have to make sure you slow down a bit. You need energy every day," said TV expert Severin Freund, himself a winner in the Allgäu in December 2015, on the ZDF microphone. And the crowd favorite did everything as usual.
Supported by great flying qualities and strikingly high approach speeds, the Ruhpoldingen native is currently among the elite with every single jump. Wellinger left the confusion surrounding his torn suit and the landing errors on New Year's Eve behind him and put in another impressive performance. The next podium place was the logical consequence.
Champion Granerud again without a chance
Behind Wellinger - as in Oberstdorf - no other German was really able to compete for the podium places. Pius Paschke (10th) did well, but the rest of the team behind Wellinger is a long way off the top of the world. This also applies to Geiger, who celebrated two victories in Klingenthal just over three weeks ago.
"You have to remain humble and patient," said the 30-year-old from Allgäu, who only finished 16th after 129 and 130 meters. Co-favorite Geiger has already said goodbye to the fight for overall victory after the two German stations. Defending champion Halvor Egner Granerud from Norway once again had no chance and didn't even make it into the second round.
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- Andreas Wellinger's gratitude and excitement continued during the game of patience, as he signed autographs in Garmisch-Partenkirchen following his impressive performance in the Four Hills Tournament's New Year's competition.
- Despite finishing third behind Lanisek and Kobayashi, Wellinger's joy was palpable, as he looked forward to the upcoming stages in Innsbruck and Bischofshofen, aiming to match Sven Hannawald's 2002 triumph.
- The 72nd Tour's remaining stages promise an intense duel between Wellinger and Kobayashi, with the German holding a slim lead over the Japanese jumper in the overall standings.
- Karl Geiger, Wellinger's teammate, expressed his confidence in the Ruhpoldingen native's abilities, stating that he believed Wellinger would "rock this thing."
- Stephan Horngacher, the national coach, praising Wellinger's performance, acknowledged that while Germany had not secured a victory at the start of the year since Hannawald, the team was only 2.5 meters short of the strong winner, Lanisek.
- Stefan Kraft, a member of the trio with Wellinger and Kobayashi, unfortunately lost valuable points in his pursuit of the title, but he remained optimistic, hoping to close the gap at Bischofshofen.
- Following the successful home games in Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Wellinger expressed his excitement as he prepared to head to Austria, where he would compete in the qualification round in Innsbruck.
- The Bergisel ski jump has historically caused challenges for Germany's jumpers, but Wellinger, with his exceptional flying qualities and high approach speed, remained confident in his abilities to tackle the formidable jump.
- On the first day of the new year, Oberstdorf was transformed into a festive atmosphere, with live music, sunshine, and music from Helene Fischer and Safri Duo, fueling the ski jumping passion of both spectators and participants.
- Severin Freund, a former champion and crowd favorite, acknowledged the emotions and energy required to maintain peak performance, as Wellinger continued to impress with his consistent podium finishes.
- Despite the strong showing of other German jumpers, such as Pius Paschke, who finished in the top 10, defending champion Halvor Egner Granerud from Norway found himself struggling, failing to advance to the second round of the competition.
Source: www.stern.de
