Tin bird force defiant: “I’m in great shape”

Stefan Kraft, Michael Hayböck (UVB Hinzenbach), Jan Hörl, Daniel Tschofenig, Manuel Fettner – this quintet will hold up the red-white-red flag in the individual World Cup jumping from the large hill in Planica on Friday (5:30 p.m., ORF 1). The findings of the previous evening events in Slovenia do not promise the best, this time changing wind could become the decisive factor.

But the athletes mustn’t let that irritate them, inhospitable external influences are part of their outdoor sport. Kraft, who takes off as the defending champion, knows that too. In 2021 in Oberstdorf, the 29-year-old from Salzburg triumphed in front of the Norwegian Robert Johansson and the German Karl Geiger. “It’s going to be a tough fight again, but I’m looking forward to it. I’m in great shape, I have my things together, I’m physically fit and healthy. Actually everything should fit”stressed Kraft, who overcame the disappointments on the normal hill.

“At that time we were also breaded on the little one”

In the beginning, the two fourth places in the individual and in the mixed team hurt, but now the signs are pointing to an attack again. Also with ÖSV head coach Andreas Widholzl, who reminds of the 2021 World Cup: “At that time we were also breaded on the small one, but it was completely different on the big one.”

In any case, the circle of favorites is large. There were six different individual winners in this World Cup season: Overall leader Halvor Egner Granerud (North) won ten jumps and the Four Hills Tournament, Dawid Kubacki (Pol) celebrated five successes, local hero Anze Lanisek (Pol) three, Stefan Kraft two, ditto Ryoyu Kobayashi (Jpn) and Andreas Wellinger (D). Piotr Zyla (Pol), who successfully defended his World Championship title on the normal hill, shouldn’t be ignored either.

“I hope that the weather will be more stable and that we will see a really fair competition”said Widholzl: “It can go fast in ski jumping, you can see that with the Germans. They hurl it all year, and now they have a successful World Cup.”

Relay gold to Norway

In the women’s cross-country relay (4 x 5 km), the Norwegian quartet triumphed around Ingvild Flugstad Östberg, who had launched the decisive attack. Top favorite Sweden had to settle for bronze behind the German team. An Austrian team was conspicuous by its absence, which will be no different today (12.30 p.m., ORF 1) in the men’s relay (4 x 10 km).

For Saturday (30 km classic for women with a mass start, 12 p.m., ORF 1), at least a comeback for the Olympic bronze medalist in skiathlon, Teresa Stadlober, seems possible. The 30-year-old is on the mend after an illness.