Andreas Wellinger is proud of his second place at the 72nd Four Hills Tournament – and will remember the goosebumps for a long time. To one in particular.
When Ryōyū Kobayashi held up the golden eagle and grinned broadly in the blowing snow in Bischofshofen, Andreas Wellinger stood a little to the side. Lost in thought, he looked into the run-out, where Halvor Egner Granerud, last year’s tournament winner, hugged Kobayashi and briefly lifted him into the air. “I’m proud of what I did on the tour”said Wellinger.
But his pride was also mixed with a little bitterness. “I haven’t made many mistakes, but that’s enough – if someone else is better.” When he stood on the podium just a moment later, Wellinger had found his smile again. He stretched both arms up and cheered – second place in the overall ranking and a Four Hills Tournament, with more than just a moment of goosebumps.
Success lies in calmness
Because before the showdown for the tour victory in Bischofshofen, there was a lot of trust – in Wellinger, his strength and, above all, his calmness. He had taken this with him from the previous World Cup weeks to the highlight of the season, sometimes surprising fans and those in charge, sometimes perhaps even astonishing them. “He rests within himself”said national coach Horngacher.
Wellinger always tried to be calm and light-hearted “his stuff“It was certainly in his system and in his preparation for the tour. At the World Cup in Engelberg, for example, the 28-year-old expressed a wish. “I would like to read on January 6th: ‘Finally a German at the top again.’ Preferably me, of course.”
Goosebumps in Oberstdorf
It wasn’t enough to reach the top of the 72nd Four Hills Tournament, but Wellinger created a special moment at the start in Oberstdorf. 25,000 fans were excited for the German team and Wellinger delivered. His victory at the start, a success guaranteed to give you goosebumps and one that left even an eloquent winter athlete like Wellinger speechless, at least for a brief moment. But already in Oberstdorf – Kobayashi in second place.
“As an old hand, I will be able to direct the emotions in the right direction.”said Wellinger when he found the words again. Having sorted out his emotions, Wellinger jumped onto the podium again in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Third place, Kobayashi this time ahead of him, was again second. But Wellinger defended the tour.
Innsbruck as a turning point?
That changed in the third competition of the tour in Innsbruck – the 2018 Olympic champion struggled with the conditions and the Bergisel, Kobayashi showed no nerves and took the lead in the overall ranking, again with second place. “Nothing is lost yet”Karl Geiger summed it up. “And we had it differently in Innsbruck.” German tour hopes have been dashed on Bergisel more than once in the past 20 years.
This year there is the showdown in Bischofshofen – and the deep conviction in the German team that something is possible. The support for Wellinger is almost tangible. Roommate Stephan Leyhe didn’t want to change anything about the usual procedures the evening before the decision. Pius Paschke hoped that Wellinger “stays with his things” and Geiger found, “that it’s time”.
Memories for eternity
And Wellinger himself? “I have rarely been as well sorted as I have been in the last ten days.” And yet there was a crunch in Bischofshofen. When he qualified, he suddenly felt “fell hard“. Although things went better on Saturday, in the first round Wellinger missed the pace in the run-up, in the second round things went much better, but Wellinger was no longer able to make up the gap to Kobayashi. But no one can take away the special moments of this tour from him. Addressed At the award ceremony in Oberstdorf, at the frenetic fans, Wellinger has a sparkle in his eyes.”I have never experienced something like that.“And that remains even without the overall victory.