Ski jumping - Wellinger is not worried about the future of ski jumping
Olympic ski jumping champion Andreas Wellinger is not worried about the future of his sport in times of climate change. "I don't see the danger that ski jumping will cease to take place at some point. In my opinion, the challenge lies in how you can get spectators used to the fact that the ski jump is no longer white with snow," said the 28-year-old Bavarian in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Wednesday).
For Wellinger, change is all about innovation. "Maybe you have to come up with new solutions so that the spectators understand despite a green hill: It's the same ski jump. It's the world's best ski jumpers." It "just looks different visually", said Wellinger. "In this respect, I don't see any risk of ski jumping dying out at some point." In ski jumping, snow is not absolutely necessary for either the inrun track or the landing slope.
Even if jumping were to take place on green mats instead of white artificial snow or snow, Wellinger is against having competitions all year round. "But I wouldn't be a fan of dragging the World Cup into the summer now. At some point we also have to prepare, train and coordinate changes to equipment. That takes time to test," said the 2018 Olympic champion, who is one of the favorites for the Four Hills Tournament starting on Friday (17:15/ARD and Eurosport).
Information on the Four Hills Tournament Results Four Hills Tournament The overall World Cup standings Data on Andreas Wellinger
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
- Despite climate change's impact, Austria's Bavaria, known for its Winter sports like ski jumping, remains optimistic about the sport's future, with Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger leading the charge.
- The Four Hills Tournament, a renowned Nordic skiing event in Oberstdorf, Germany, kicks off on Friday, with Wellinger being one of the favorites, showing the resilience of winter sports in the face of climate change.
- In an interview with the FAZ, Wellinger emphasized the importance of innovation in adapting to climate change, suggesting that Spectators might need to get used to the sight of ski jumpers on green mats instead of white snow.
- Germany's Winter sports community, including ski jumping, is continually evolving to mitigate the effects of climate change, with Wellinger advocating for a gradual approach to changes, ensuring that athletes have time to adapt and test new equipment.
- Although climate change poses challenges for winter sports like ski jumping, cities like Oberstdorf, renowned for their four hills tour, are proving that adapting and innovating can preserve the popularity of winter sports in Germany and beyond.
- Noting that snow is not essential for the inrun track or landing slope in ski jumping, Wellinger stated his opposition to holding competitions year-round, preferring a measured approach to changes in the sport to ensure its longevity and maintain the traditional appeal of winter sports.
Source: www.stern.de
