After Engelberg is before the Four Hills Tournament: Are the German ski jumpers still favorites after the results of the tour dress rehearsal? Karl Geiger has “there are completely different things on the bill.“Sports show expert Sven Hannawald is definitely looking forward to the turn of the year: “I’ve never had such tension before”.
If the dress rehearsal goes wrong… then German ski jumping fans can look forward to the Four Hills Tournament. Because the dress rehearsal for the tour went really wrong on Sunday (December 22, 2024). World Cup leader Pius Paschke only finished 18th. And Karl Geiger in ninth and Andreas Welllinger in 15th also missed the hoped-for podium on the fourth Advent.
Paschke: “Tick off”
At least Paschke was able to laugh after the jump: “Unfortunately that wasn’t so good”the 34-year-old took his performance and his jumps in Engelberg with humor. There were times when the police officer from Upper Bavaria would have been happy about reaching the final of the best 30. But after five wins in the first eight individual competitions of the season, the demands have grown. “It didn’t work out today. Tick it off. I have to do better when it snows”Paschke commented on his performance in the sports show – still with a grin on his face and a reference to the difficult external conditions in Engelberg.
Horngacher: Paschke was “a little sick”
Sports show expert Sven Hannawald analyzed a crowbar that Paschke wanted to use to force success. Already in the qualifying on Sunday, when he was only 40th. And then later in competition too. “He wanted too much and was tense”says Hannawald. However, national coach Stefan Horngacher did not want to accept speculation that there was too much pressure on the narrow shoulders of the currently best German jumper: “That’s speculation. The fact is that he was a bit sick. He didn’t arrive physically fit. Then the position and the jump aren’t quite right.”
“I’d love to go on tour as a favorite” –
In any case, they don’t want to give up their role as favorites on the tour so easily. Finally, as Horngacher said on ZDF a week ago: “We train for this all year round. We like to go into the tour as favorites.“
Austria cheers – “Well positioned for the tour”
However, by the Engelberg weekend at the latest, completely different nations have also positioned themselves. Horngacher’s Austrian compatriots, for example: five out of six possible podium places went to the ÖSV-Adler. “It was brilliant what we showed today. Everything worked”said Sunday winner Daniel Tschofenig on ORF. “We are well positioned for the tour, we just have to show our potential.” And Stefan Kraft, who came third to take his fourth individual podium of the season, also added on Austrian television: “We’re at the front with a clenched fist. Together we win the tour, maybe we’ll succeed.”
Daniel Tschofenig: What we showed was brilliant”
Geiger: “Others on the bill”
Karl Geiger, who jumped into the top 10 twice in one weekend in Engelberg for the first time in more than a year, also has the Austrians on his list as one of the tour’s favorites (“The Austrians are incredibly closed.”). The three-time individual world champion also has “but also a few others on the bill that perhaps no one has thought of yet”said the 31-year-old in the sports show. Specifically, he is thinking of a Slovenian, a Norwegian and a Swiss: “I have the feeling that Anze Lanisek is flying under the radar. But also Marius Lindvik. You know the tour hills, they are stalking themselves. Deschwanden, Gregor are doing that very well too.”
Sports show experts also see the Norwegians on the rise and are thinking of a three-time team ski flying world champion: Johann Andre “Forfang shows how it works with feeling.”
Hannawald’s 15th place bill
Hannawald, who celebrated the last German victory at the Four Hills Tournament in 2001, still has a very personal score. When the now 50-year-old jumped in Engelberg before the 2001/2002 tour, he came 15th – and shortly afterwards won the tour Grand Slam. Hannawald’s insider tip for the 73rd Four Hills Tournament starting on December 29th: 15th place in this year’s Engelberg jumping competition. And that is Andreas Wellinger. In fact, the 29-year-old showed in Switzerland, especially with his fourth place on Saturday, that he can be right at the front with two good jumps.
“Never had such tension”
This year’s tour has many favorites. And in the middle of it all, despite the mixed Engelberg weekend, there are also some Germans. Or, as Karl Geiger said: “A lot can happen. The tour has its own rules. It will be exciting.” Hannawald is also tingling: “I’ve never had such excitement before a tour.”