Daniel Tschofenig is the high flyer of the Four Hills Tournament. At halftime, the Austrian is leading the overall standings and is on the verge of the greatest success of his young career.
Daniel Tschofenig is 22 years old. This is quickly forgotten. After all, the Villach native has been jumping in the World Cup for three years. At this year’s Four Hills Tournament his star really seems to be rising.
After his victory in the New Year’s competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the Austrian greets from the top in the overall ranking of the Four Hills Tournament. It was his third World Cup victory ever. Tschofenig came third in Oberstdorf, but had already made his first statement with victory in qualifying.
Thanks to Andi Goldberger for ski jumping
The Carinthian played football for SV Draschitz until he was 12 years old. Then the “Goldi Cup” organized by Austria’s ski jumping legend Andreas Goldberger in Villach convinced him to change sports. Tschofenig is now being advised by the other ski jumping legend, Toni Innauer.
In his home country, Tschofenig also made his international debut in the FIS Cup in July 2018. Two years later he started in the second-class Alpine Cup. The four-time junior world champion celebrated his greatest success to date at the World Championships in Planica in 2022. He ended up taking home three gold medals (individual, team and mixed). A year earlier in Lahti he had already won gold in the Junior World Championships team. He also celebrated his World Cup debut in 2021.
Daniel Tschofenig: The Instagram name says it all
Since then, there have been 13 “Stockerl” placements – as they say in Tschofenig’s hometown – in his CV. In 2023 he came third three times, and last winter he took second and third place.
This season he was at the top three times, narrowly missed victory twice and came third three times – which also makes him first in the overall World Cup.
“Tschofenig Airlines”, as the Carinthian is called on Instagram, is currently really taking off. He also regularly posts pictures with his girlfriend there.
Tschofenig and Loutitt: A ski jumping couple
She is also no stranger to the ski jumping circus: Alexandria Loutitt. The 20-year-old Canadian surprisingly won the gold medal at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica in 2023. An Olympic bronze medal in the mixed team also hangs in her trophy cabinet.
Tschofenig lives in Hohenthurn near Villach, but is rarely at home in winter. Since the men and women now hold their World Cups at the same locations, both can see each other more often. That be “The best thing about it is that women’s and men’s calendars cross each other more often”writes the Canadian under a video of the two of them on Instagram.
At the home game in the yellow jersey
If Tschofenig continues to jump so strongly, it could even be enough to win the tournament in the end. Before his home game at Bergisel in Innsbruck, where Tschofenig goes in the yellow jersey, the 22-year-old holds a narrow lead over his compatriots Jan Hoerl (+7.9 points) and Stefan Kraft (+8.7 points).
But the ski jump on Bergisel in particular has proven to be fateful in recent years. Too often the wind lottery decided the competition.
But whoever is called “Tschofenig Airlines” should really know their way around winches.