For the ski jumpers there are still two competitions instead of four – a two nights tour instead of a four hills tournament. The women are not happy with it.
Katharina Schmid actually doesn’t want to be annoyed. Things are going far too well for the ski jumper in the yellow jersey – she leads the overall World Cup, smiling and jumping from success to success with ease. So actually.
With the Two Nights Tour, top athletes like Schmid will once again be able to achieve what was once considered an achievement at the turn of the year – a kind of mini-tour for the ski jumpers, with two instead of four competitions. In the second year, however, this feels like a lazy compromise for many athletes.
Disappointment for the jumpers
“It’s bitter-sweet”says Alexandria Loutitt, Canadian ski jumper, in an interview with Sportschau. “I’m happy about the Two Nights Tour, but I’m sad that we won’t get a Four Hills Tournament.” After all, the tour is “legendary”. Many other jumpers see it that way too – they have fought together over the past few years for their dream of competing and for more naturalness in their sport.
“I’m disappointed that there aren’t four competitions”says Selina Freitag. “But nothing is given to us for free. It’s our turn and we’re fighting to ensure that Austria follows suit at some point.” The two competitions on the Two Nights Tour are held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberstdorf, while the men’s tour also includes Innsbruck and Bischofshofen in Austria.
Several hurdles for touring
The lack of floodlights on Bergisel in Innsbruck is currently just one of the hurdles for the ski jumpers’ Four Hills Tournament. The fact that the Two Nights Tour and the Four Hills Tournament are marketed differently is also a problem.
A working group of the German and Austrian Ski Associations, the World Association FIS and the participating locations met at a meeting in the summer “formulated a commitment to approach and implement the women’s Four Hills Tournament in the same way as the men”says DSV sports director Horst Hüttel in an interview with Sportschau.
This was also confirmed by Mario Liegl, sporting director of the ÖSV. “Basically we are in favor of merging the Four Hills Tournament”says Liegl. “We have to check this so that it is sustainable and make sure that the small hills, like Villach or Hinzenbach, also stay on board.”
Hope at Hüttel
The FIS has already announced that the competition calendars for ski jumpers will be analogue from 2026. “Every year where the women are not there analogously is, in my opinion, a lost year.”says Hüttel. He therefore hopes that the Four Hills Tournament for female ski jumpers might start earlier. “Perhaps there is a small chance of implementing the whole thing next year – i.e. in the 25/26 season”says Hüttel.
That would be a win for Schmid and the other top athletes. Until then the following applies to you: “I’m happy that we have the competitions”says Schmid. “Sure, we would like to have that as part of a Four Hills Tournament – but at least we already have half of it.”