The German ski jumpers are outsiders, others are favorites at the 71st Four Hills Tournament. From Thursday, December 29th, 2022, one of the highlights in winter sports begins – finally with fans who were not allowed last year. Sportschau.de with all information about the tour.
What are the chances of the Germans?
Worse than in previous years. The DSV-Adler are not in top form yet. In Karl Geiger, who finished third in Titisee-Neustadt, a German was the first to stand on the podium this season after an individual competition. Last year, the man from Oberstdorf traveled to his home country as the overall World Cup leader, this time he is seventh as the best athlete from national coach Stefan Horngacher’s team.
The Austrian coach takes a pragmatic view: “We came to the tour in top form, in the yellow jersey, with two top players, and we didn’t win either,” he says. Horngacher doesn’t think the starting position is bad at all this year. His team is concentrated and in “work mode”. A German victory would still be a surprise.
Who are the favorites for the title?
The top favorite comes from Poland. Dawid Kubacki won four of eight individual competitions in the World Cup this season and leads the overall ranking. The 32-year-old won the tour title in the 2019/20 season. Behind Kubacki, Anze Lanisek from Slovenia, Stefan Kraft from Austria and Halvor Egner Granerud from Norway also have good chances. All three are jumping at a very high level this season and have each been able to celebrate at least one win.
Last year’s triumphant, Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi, is still looking for form this winter. The 26-year-old is not one of the biggest contenders to win.
Who are the Grand Slam champions?
Sven Hannawald will forever be in the tour’s record books because he was the first to manage the feat of winning all four competitions in 2001/02. 16 years later, Poland’s Kamil Stoch did the same, and a year later Ryoyu Kobayashi. This year, the Japanese is not in form – unlike the Pole Dawid Kubacki and the Slovenian Anze Lanisek. They go on the tour as favourites.
Only one athlete has ever won five tournaments overall: The Finn Janne Ahonen was successful in 1998/99, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2007/08. The German ski jumping legend Jens Weißflog won four times. Weißflog holds the record for day wins together with the Norwegian Björn Wikola (10), ahead of Ahonen and the Austrian Gregor Schlierenzauer (9 each).
Where do you jump? Are fans allowed?
The good news came with the white flakes in mid-December: snow is guaranteed in all four locations. And unlike last year, spectators are allowed to be there again – the places are famous for the witches’ cauldron atmosphere.
After the two kick-off events in the Schattenberg Arena in Oberstdorf and on the Olympiaschanze in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, it’s time to cross the border to Austria. January as always on the Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze in Bischofshofen.
When and where will it be broadcast on TV?
ZDF will broadcast Oberstdorf on December 28th and 29th from 4:30 p.m. as well as the final competition and the previous qualification in Bischofshofen on January 5th from 4:30 p.m. and on January 6th from 4:30 p.m.
On the other hand, the sports show will broadcast the competitions in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on December 31, from 2 p.m., and on New Year’s Day, also from 2 p.m., as well as the jumping in Innsbruck on January 3 and 4 (each from 1.30 p.m.) live (in the first and in the live stream).
| date | contest | venue |
|---|---|---|
12/28/2022 | Qualification (from 4.30 p.m./ticker) | oberstdorf |
12/29/2022 | Competition (from 4.30 p.m./ticker) | oberstdorf |
12/31/2022 | Qualification (from 2 p.m./live stream) | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
01/01/2023 | Competition (from 2 p.m./live stream and ticker) | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
01/03/2023 | Qualification (from 1.30 p.m./live stream and ticker) | innsbruck |
01/04/2023 | Competition (from 1.30 p.m./live stream and ticker) | innsbruck |
01/05/2023 | Qualification (from 4.30 p.m./ticker) | Bischofshofen |
01/06/2023 | Competition (from 4.30 p.m./ticker) | Bischofshofen |
The hill records
The hill record in the Schattenberg Arena in Oberstdorf is long overdue: Norwegian Sigurd Pettersen has held the record with 143.5 meters since 2003. In Garmisch, Dawid Kubacki is number one with 144 meters. Markus Eisenbichler almost replaced the Pole in the New Year’s competition in 2022, his jump landed at 143.5 meters.
On the Bergisel in Innsbruck, Michael Hayböck from Austria is the all-time best with 138 meters from 2015, in Bischofshofen Dawid Kubacki from Poland has held the record with 145 meters since 2019. He also landed the longest sentence in the history of the tour so far.
Record jumper of the tour: Dawid Kubacki from Poland
How much is the prize money?
The overall winner receives 100,000 Swiss francs (about 96,000 euros) in addition to the usual World Cup prizes – the sum was increased significantly last year. The cumulative prize money distributed across the four tour stations is 400,000 francs (384,000 euros). CHF 75,000 each will be paid out per location as the usual World Cup bonus and for qualifying victory.