Wellinger wins first ski jumping qualifier of the winter
Olympic ski jumping champion Andreas Wellinger is in top form just in time for the start of the winter. The 28-year-old Bavarian won the qualification in Ruka, Finland.
With his jump of 144 meters, Wellinger left Switzerland's Gregor Deschwanden and teammate Stephan Leyhe behind. In the team of national coach Stefan Horngacher, the gold winner from Pyeongchang 2018 is considered the greatest hope in the World Cup.
The other German jumpers Philipp Raimund (6th), Karl Geiger (7th), Pius Paschke (13th) and Martin Hamann (18th) also easily made it into the top 50. The first World Cup individual of the winter is scheduled for Saturday (16:15). The winner will take the yellow jersey of the overall leader, which is a special attraction at the start.
For the ski jumpers, it is a season without the Nordic World Ski Championships and without the Winter Olympics. The highlights are the Four Hills Tournament around the turn of the year and the Ski Flying World Championships at Kulm in Austria in January. Wellinger has already made a strong impression during his preparations.
Andreas Wellinger, the World Cup-aspiring ski jumper, aced the first qualifier of the winter season with an impressive jump of 144 meters, solidifying his position as a top contender in the upcoming World Cup events. As the gold medalist from Pyeongchang 2018, Wellinger is widely regarded as Germany's greatest hope in the global ski jumping arena.
Source: www.dpa.com
