Ski jump open in Oberstdorf, where the 72nd Four Hills Tournament will be heralded with qualification today (4.30 p.m., ORF 1). And that can be quite something: since 2017 there have been no more seeded athletes (i.e. the top ten in the World Cup). Anyone who doesn’t end up in the top 50 will have to throw the overall tour ranking into the wind before the first round of the competition on Friday (5.15 p.m., ORF 1). This “heat” traditionally takes place in knockout mode. That means: The best person in qualifying meets the 50th, the second meets the 49th and so on and so forth.
The 25 winners plus five “lucky losers” make it to the final of the top 30. So you have to be on your guard right from the start. Top favorite Stefan Kraft also knows this, having won the German-Austrian prestige event around the turn of the year for the first and only time in 2014/15.
“On the tour you can’t show any signs of weakness, you have to master all four jumps at the highest level – and within a short time. That’s the challenge,” says the 30-year-old from Salzburg.
In addition to Kraft, compatriot Jan Hörl, Andreas Wellinger (D), Karl Geiger (D), defending champion Halvor Egner Granerud (Nor) and ex-Grand Slam champion Ryoyu Kobayashi (Jpn) are among the contenders for the Golden Eagle. Ideally, a ski jumper can earn around 162,000 euros from the tour. In addition to the overall triumph, this requires four individual victories and successes in all qualifications. Without various background noises, the tour title guarantees 100,000 Swiss francs (equivalent to 106,000 euros).
Such dimensions are also desirable for the women who are fighting for their first Four Hills Tournament under the direction of the Austrian and German Ski Associations. At the moment there is only one consolation: On Saturday (5.45 p.m., ORF 1) there will be a competition in Garmisch, where defending World Cup champion Eva Pinkelnig will make her comeback following knee problems. On January 1st (4:15 p.m., ORF 1) there will be a New Year’s jump in Oberstdorf. The construct also has a name, it is called the “Two Nights Tour”.
Author
Alexander Zambarloukos
Sports editor
Alexander Zambarloukos
