Ski jumpers have returned to Europe following a “trip around the world”. Previously, they competed in the American Lake Placid and in Sapporo, Japan. Last weekend, apart from the four Poles mentioned above, Klemens Murańka also took part in the competition in Asia.
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“Klemens was included in the plan for Oberstdorf, but he does not feel 100% sure to take part in ski flying, so we decided that he would return home,” said national team coach Thomas Thurnbichler.
On their way back from Japan, the Polish national team encountered difficulties. The original plan was to return to Poland, but they went straight to Oberstdorf.
“Due to strikes by the German airline Lufthansa, there were some problems on the way back from Japan. The plan was for the players to return home on Monday evening to rest and spend time with their families on Tuesday. However, the strikes meant that the team was stuck in Frankfurt. We decided to go straight to Oberstdorf from there, which was a simpler solution. Otherwise, the players would have returned home on Tuesday evening and set off for Germany once more on Wednesday morning. We decided this to avoid the stress of traveling. The players took the initiative, to go straight to Oberstdorf. I really appreciate this decision, it is the best in terms of preparation for the competition. Less traveling and more regeneration,” explained the Austrian coach.
The ski jumping World Cup competitions take place every year on the Schattenbergschanze in Oberstdorf at the end of December during the Four Hills Tournament. Competitions on the mammoth facility named following The Heini Klopfer Festival is organized every few years. Stefan Kraft triumphed here most often, three times, and stood on the podium five times in total. Slovenian Timi Zajc, Finn Matti Nykaenen and Austrians Martin Koch and Werner Rathmayr achieved two victories each.
Stoch won on the “mammoth” in Oberstdorf on February 3, 2019. Kubacki and Żyła also stood on the podium.
The construction point of the Heini Klopfer Skiflugschanze is located at 200 meters and its size is 235 m. It is the fourth ski jumping hill in the world. Only the facilities in Vikersund, Planica and Bad-Mitterndorf are larger. The official record holder of the facility is the Slovenian Domen Prevc, who won his first World Cup victory in almost five years in Sapporo on Sunday. The youngest of the Prevc brothers specializes in ski flying and may surprise him once more in Oberstdorf.
Kraft has 1,386 points and is the clear leader of the general classification with a 205-point advantage over the second Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi and 284 points over the third German Andreas Wellinger. The highest of the Poles, with 224 points, was classified in 23rd place by Aleksander Zniszczoł, who, purely theoretically, still has a mathematical chance of overtaking Kraft. However, the Austrian is probably aiming to win the third Crystal Ball in his career.
In Sapporo, Kraft won his 39th victory in the individual World Cup competition. He was equal to Małysz and Stoch, and this weekend he can overtake the successful Polish jumpers.
When is ski jumping in Oberstdorf? When will the World Cup competition start?
There will be qualifications on Thursday, a duet competition on Friday, and individual competitions in Oberstdorf, Austria, on Saturday and Sunday. Among the Poles, Aleksander Zniszczoł, Piotr Żyła, Dawid Kubacki and Kamil Stoch will start. Live coverage and results will be available on Polsatsport.pl.
Jumping in Oberstdorf today – 22/02. Qualifications – when do they start?
Live coverage and results of Thursday’s qualifications (February 22) of the World Cup competition in Oberstdorf from 16:30 on Polsatsport.pl.
PI, PAP
Go to Polsatsport.pl
