Otepää/Are (dpa) –
ski jumping
Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund, Norway
4.30 p.m.: 1st and 2nd round (ARD)
After the gold coup in Planica 2020, defending champion Karl Geiger says he is “super relaxed”. After sixth place in qualifying on Thursday, Geiger commented on ARD: “I would never have believed that I could win gold two years ago. I did it then. That means: I have the thing on the credit side.” In Vikersund, too, he is one of the top favorites alongside Austria’s Stefan Kraft and Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi. The first two of four individual rounds are scheduled for Friday. The favorites can’t win gold yet, but they can lose.
biathlon
World Cup in Otepää, Estonia
2.30 p.m .: Sprint, women (ARD and Eurosport)
The German women skiers around Olympic champion Denise Herrmann want to be at the forefront again at the penultimate World Cup of the season. “We want to build on what we achieved last weekend. It’s a very clear goal, especially for the women, to get as many as possible into the mass start,” says Bernd Eisenbichler, the sporting director of the biathletes. In the sprint there are important points to be won by Herrmann, Janina Hettich, Vanessa Hinz, Franziska Hildebrand, Vanessa Voigt and Franziska Preuss.
Alpine skiing
World Cup in Are, Sweden
3 p.m.: Giant slalom, women, 1st round
6 p.m.: Giant slalom, women, 2nd run (ARD and Eurosport)
Exceptional US rider Mikaela Shiffrin heads into the last race weekend before the season finale in France as the overall World Cup leader. The Slovakian Petra Vlhova is the first pursuer of the 26-year-old and will try to put her under pressure again in the technical competitions in Are, Sweden. The only German starter in the giant slalom on Friday, Marlene Schmotz, only has outsider chances.
cross country skiing
World Cup in Falun, Sweden
12.15 p.m .: Sprint classic, men and women (Eurosport)
After a furious season with Olympic victory and another relay medal in Beijing, Germany’s cross-country skiers want to surprise again in Falun. “We’re trying to concentrate on the sport as best we can and we want to end a great season well,” said team boss Peter Schlickenrieder. In the sprint, the German team is one of the outsiders, especially among the men.