Ski jumping - Strong towards the tour: Wellinger only despairs of strength
Led by Andreas Wellinger, the German ski jumpers are already creating great anticipation for the Four Hills Tournament at the start of December. The Pyeongchang Olympic champion made it onto the podium twice in Lillehammer and is currently leading a strong World Cup team with consistently strong performances.
"I'm at a really good level, so it's just fun. I did a lot of things right in the summer," said Wellinger. The 28-year-old finished second twice and has made an even better start than in the 2017/18 Olympic gold medal season. "We are very happy with the weekend," said national coach Stefan Horngacher.
Austria's Stefan Kraft is particularly strong at the moment, making an absolute dream start to the winter with four wins from four competitions. "This is a magical place for me. It's a lot of fun at the moment, no matter how cold it is," said Kraft, after the jumpers had to deal with temperatures of around minus 15 degrees throughout the weekend.
Kraft overtakes Weißflog
Kraft secured his World Cup victories 33 and 34 in the 1994 Olympic venue, overtaking German icon Jens Weißflog (33). Given his excellent form, Kraft could draw level with Janne Ahonen (36) as early as next week in Klingenthal. "The flight is certainly my great strength," Kraft told ZDF. A six-week trip around the world in the summer was inspiring for him.
For the German team, the situation is quite tricky: Coach Horngacher's team does surprisingly have four athletes who could make it onto the podium. But the victories seem to have been decided before the start of the competition. "Second place behind Kraft, that's all that's possible at the moment. I'm very satisfied," said head coach Horngacher with disillusionment. In Lillehammer, there was one competition on the normal hill and one on the large hill. Kraft dominated on both days.
Geiger also strong with two fourth places
Behind Wellinger, Pius Paschke, Karl Geiger and Stephan Leyhe are also part of the extended world elite. Geiger managed two fourth places in Norway. "It was positive throughout. I am mega happy. It was really fun. It was freezing cold, but it was a very positive day for me," said the Allgäu native. Geiger seems to have fixed the technical problems from the opening weekend in Ruka and is now among the elite. Paschke and Leyhe have also managed a podium finish each in this short winter.
There are two more World Cup weekends before the Four Hills Tournament starts in Oberstdorf (December 29). The German home event in Klingenthal will take place next week, followed by the traditional dress rehearsal in Engelberg, Switzerland. Time is running out for former world champion Markus Eisenbichler, who has not yet been part of the World Cup squad. Wellinger, Leyhe, Geiger and Paschke are likely to be seeded for the tour. Philipp Raimund and especially Martin Hamann showed weaknesses this weekend and could be shaky candidates.
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Andreas Wellinger's Anticipation for the Four Hills Tournament is high, as he leads a strong German Winter sports team in the tournament. Wellinger, the Pyeongchang Olympic champion, had a successful weekend in Lillehammer, finishing second twice and leading a consistently strong World Cup team.
Stefan Kraft, an Austrian ski jumper, is currently in excellent form, having won four competitions in a row, including two in the 1994 Olympic venue in Lillehammer. His winning streak has put him in contention to equal Janne Ahonen's World Cup victory record next week in Klingenthal.
Andreas Wellinger, Pius Paschke, Karl Geiger, and Stephan Leyhe are part of the extended world elite for the German team. While Kraft dominated the competition in Lillehammer, Geiger managed two fourth places, improving upon the technical problems he had at the opening weekend in Ruka.
Meanwhile, Stefan Horngacher, the national coach, expressed disillusionment with the situation of the German team, stating that they have four athletes capable of making it onto the podium but that the victories seem to have already been decided ahead of time.
The German home event in Klingenthal will take place next week, followed by the traditional dress rehearsal in Engelberg, Switzerland. Time is running out for former world champion Markus Eisenbichler, who has not yet been part of the World Cup squad.
Jens Weißflog, a German icon, was overtaken by Kraft in Lillehammer, where Kraft secured his World Cup victories 33 and 34. Kraft attributed his excellent form to a six-week trip around the world in the summer.
Ski jumping is also gaining popularity in Norway, with Pius Paschke, Karl Geiger, and Stephan Leyhe each managing a podium finish in this short winter. For Paschke and Leyhe, the podium finishes mark a significant achievement in their ski jumping careers.
Pius Paschke and Stephan Leyhe are likely to be seeded for the Four Hills Tournament, along with Andreas Wellinger and Karl Geiger. However, Philipp Raimund and especially Martin Hamann had weaknesses in this weekend's competition, and they could be shaky candidates for the tour.
Overall, the Four Hills Tournament promises to be an exciting event, with several strong ski jumpers from Germany, Austria, and Norway vying for the top spots.
Source: www.stern.de
