While the men jump in their Four Hills Tournament as usual, the women have to continue to wait for such an event. Instead, they’re skipping the “Two Nights Tour” this year.
No, there will be no Four Hills Tournament for women this year either, although Katharina Schmid and her teammates want it so much. Instead, they are allowed to Two Nights Tour start – abbreviation TNT. But the new format doesn’t have nearly as much explosive power.
Jumping takes place on two jumps and in the reverse order to the men. The competitions start on December 30th in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and end with the jumping in Oberstdorf on January 1st. Last year there was the “New Year’s Eve Tournament”, two competitions each in Villach (Austria) and Ljubno (Slovenia).
“Half Four Hills Tournament”
Katharina Schmid said before the competition that she was looking forward to the Two Nights Tour. “even if it’s not yet a Four Hills Tournament”. It has been her deepest sporting wish for years. “I can’t hear myself saying it anymore.”
For Selina it’s Friday “half a Four Hills Tournament”. She wants “show that the Two Nights Tour is a cool event.” And hopes “That the Austrians join in as soon as possible and that we will regularly have our own Four Hills Tournament”. Teammate Luisa Göhrlich also sees it that way.
National coach Thomas Juffinger also sees the event as a good one “Attempting to have our own Four Hills Tournament for women”. The TNT is followed by the two competitions in Villach. Here you can “test out how it works logistically and in terms of processes”.
Difficult start to the season
From a purely sporting perspective, it is not yet the winter for the German jumpers. Figurehead Schmid in particular was unable to build on her outstanding form from last season with three World Cup medals and the overall victory, which was narrowly missed. The Oberstdorf native finished eighth twice in Lillehammer. In Engelberg she missed the top ten in both competitions. Nevertheless, national coach Juffinger is “in good spirits”. You have each other “looked again at what didn’t work so well in the first two World Cups”said Juffinger. “We worked accordingly on the jumping technique. Now we want to show what we can do in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberstdorf.”
Schmid is also hoping for “two great competitions”. The final day of the tour is a home game for Schmid. “Garmisch-Partenkirchen is on our calendar for the first time, we’ve never had a World Cup there before. Then a World Cup at home in Oberstdorf – that’s always something very special. And there’s never been a New Year’s competition in Oberstdorf either.” And Göhrlich can also benefit from scheduling and location planning. “So we can spend some of New Year’s Eve with the family.”
The DSV line-up for the Two Nights Tour
Selina Freitag (WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal), Luisa Görlich (WSV 08 Lauscha), Pauline Heßler (WSV 08 Lauscha), Alvine Holz (WSV (1923 Bad Freienwalde), Pia-Lilian Kübler (SV Zschopau), Agnes Reisch (WSV Isny), Anna Rupprecht (SC Degenfeld), Katharina Schmid (SC Oberstdorf), Juliane Seyfarth (WSC Ruhla).
Joanna Eberle (SC Oberstdorf), Sina Kiechle (SC Oberstdorf) and Josephin Laue (SFV Rothenburg) also join us in Oberstdorf.