“This really sucks”
Norwegian ski jumping star criticizes tour organizer
January 5, 2026 – 2:52 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Three years ago Halvor Egner Granerud won the tour. He currently has nothing to do with the podium, but he criticizes the organizer sharply.
It’s not Halvor Egner Granerud’s Four Hills Tournament so far: He finished 20th in Oberstdorf, but was then disqualified in the qualification for the New Year’s competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. According to the world association Fis, his leg length was two millimeters too long. In Innsbruck, the 2023 tour winner was eliminated after the first round. Afterwards, however, he sharply criticized the organizer from Austria.
Granerud said in an interview with the streaming platform Viaplay: “I hope that they won’t be allowed to hold any more competitions here next year. That’s not possible, it’s really shitty.” According to the Norwegian, the reason for Granerud’s excitement was that he was stuck in the elevator for half an hour on the way to the ski jump tower.
When he couldn’t move any further in the elevator, he was still wearing the equipment from the test run. Probably because those responsible misplaced his street shoes.
He told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK: “It’s been a long time since my body felt as crappy as it does now. If I had had my shoes, that would be one thing – but being stuck in jump shoes for 35 minutes because they lost my shoe bag was the main problem.”
Jumping shoes are stiff and not comfortable in the long term. They force the jumper to take a certain stance. Granerud also complained that he had a shorter warm-up period due to the time in the elevator.
Granerud couldn’t stop himself and continued to rumble: “I’m so tired of this whole place. I’m wondering if next year, if I’m not fighting for the tour victory, I’ll just take the opportunity and forego the competition here.” Granerud continued at Viaplay that he wished those responsible “everything bad.” According to “Eurosport”, the organizer expressed his regret.
Granerud himself probably also regretted that he was so strict and wrote in his story on Instagram on Sunday evening: “I went a bit overboard in the interview today, I don’t wish the organizer any harm. Please excuse the statement.”