Again no German victory at the Four Hills Tournament. While Austria celebrated a triple success and some records, the German team remained disillusioned. With a view to the upcoming World Cup, the DSV team has to find the lightness that was at the beginning of the season again.
The big emotions at the end of a Four Hills Tournament – they were also there at the end of the 73rd edition of the tour on Monday (January 6th, 2025) and after the final in Bischofshofen. Cheers, tears, ski jumpers being carried on shoulders, smiling faces.
For example, with daily and overall winner Daniel Tschofenig: “It is the most important triumph in a ski jumping career. It is completely indescribable”laughed the 22-year-old at the sports show microphone. Or the great frustration after missing a triumph, for example with Stefan Kraft.
The top favorite went into the last jump as the leader and said sadly after slipping to third place: “That’s where things go down, as they say in Austria.” Or second-placed Jan Hörl, who said after losing the tour victory due to a botched landing: “The first anger was deep. I screwed up a bit.”
Numerous records for Austria
Austria had the really big emotions, the Tschofenig-Hörl-Kraft trio cheered and mourned after the tour final – with a clear dominance of positive emotions: about the third triple triumph in the overall ranking after 1975 and 2012, about a record number of points for the overall winner (1,194 points). About the fact that coach Andreas Widhölzl was the first person to win the tour both as an active player (2000) and as a coach (2025). About the fact that Austria is now the sole leader with 17 overall victories, ahead of Finland (16) and the Germans (16). And that of the twelve possible podium places in the individual competitions, eleven were taken by jumpers in red-white-red.
Disillusionment in the German team
The German ski jumpers also wanted to compete for the podium. The World Cup leader at the time, Pius Paschke, achieved this best at the start in Oberstdorf, where he came fourth. But despite great ambitions, the Germans once again missed out on the Golden Eagle. “It’s a shame, we had planned more”said Wellinger, who was the best German in Bischofshofen in ninth place and finished the tour in eleventh place overall.
The 29-year-old remained far behind his second place from the previous year. But he didn’t want to mourn too much about missing out on overall victory again: “Don’t despair, keep going”was Wellinger’s answer to the question of what could be improved in the future.
Geiger: “Wipe your mouth”
The big emotions were missing from the German team after the final in Bischofshofen. “Wipe your mouth, look ahead, it goes on”said Karl Geiger, who finished the 2020 and 2021 tour in third and second place overall. National coach Stefan Horngacher analyzed: “We gave it our all, the boys really tried hard. There was nothing more possible”said the Austrian on ZDF.
Paschke: “Learned a lot”
As the best German, 34-year-old Pius Paschke finished the tour in sixth place overall. The veteran from Kiefersfelden came to the tour as a man in the yellow jersey and was supposed to redeem the German ski jumping fans 23 years after the last German triumph by Sven Hannawald. But Paschke lost the relaxed and carefree nature of the start of the season during the tour and despite his huge experience from around 180 World Cup competitions. “I can’t be happy”said the Bavarian after the final. “There were cool moments. I learned a lot. It wasn’t what seemed possible in advance. But the result is just as okay.”said Paschke soberly.
Horngacher: “Cramping”
A lack of looseness is also an issue among the other jumpers and the national coach. “At the moment we are not able to jump easily, to make the jump quickly in the air”according to Horngacher’s analysis. And the explanation: “You go here, you want to jump to the front. Then it doesn’t come off so easily. Then it usually becomes tense.”
Horngacher himself has to put up with questions about his correct communication strategy. Before the tour he talked about working with Paschke “of course favorite” be. During the tour he complained about pressure from outside. At halftime, when all chances of overall victory had vanished, he said now it was “the backpack is lighter”you can jump carefree. And after the final he again referred to a lack of looseness.
Paschke, Wellinger, Geiger: 34, 29, 31
Compared to the victorious Austrians, it is noticeable that the Widhölzl team seems to have an advantage, especially when it comes to lightness. And that seems logical, after all, the Austrians keep producing great talents, the team shines with its high level of performance: In the overall tour ranking, five Austrians are in the top 10. Tschofenig and Maximilian Ortner, who also performed well on the tour, are only 22 years old old.
When it comes to German ski jumpers, on the other hand, there is a lack of young talent pushing upwards: the German top performers Paschke, Wellinger and Geiger are already 34, 29 and 31 years old. The 24-year-old Philipp Raimund, the best of the next generation, is currently 26th in the overall World Cup – apart from good training jumps, he is far away from the top positions.
German Youth problem? “Need patience”
In addition to the problem of the lack of ease, do the Germans have a problem with young talent? No, says Horngacher: “Something is coming, just not in such large quantities as in Austria.” The German Ski Association has in the youth sector “Things are improving. It takes time, but the power density is getting better.” Horngacher deliberately gives young jumpers like 20-year-old Adrian Tittel from Aue time in World Cup competitions. Tittel’s best result on the tour: 33rd place in Bischofshofen. “It takes patience”said Horngacher.
World Cup in just seven weeks
Patience, which Horngacher does not have with a view to the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, which begins at the end of February. “It doesn’t just affect us, it also affects many other nations. The others are also thinking: How do we get to the Austrians? We are not alone as hunters. But we are one of the good hunters.”said the 55-year-old. What gives the national coach hope? “Ski jumping is a sport in which things can go quickly – up and down. We have to analyze and do the right things.”
Paschke: “I’ll win the tour in 2035”
Among other things, to return to looseness. Andreas Wellinger wants to do this in the coming days “Take a breather and do a few easy jumps.” And Pius Paschke looks even further ahead with a laugh: “I’ll win the tour in 2035”. Then the Bavarian would be 44 years old. There would be great emotions at the end of the 83rd Four Hills Tournament. And the German eagles would have another record jumper with the oldest tour winner.