Kulm start was blown away by the wind

At least on Thursday he was an insurmountable spoilsport. Strong winds at the Ski Flying World Championships at the Kulm in Bad Mitterndorf did not allow any training or qualification flights. While two practice runs are scheduled for Friday (9 a.m.), the qualification has been canceled without replacement. At 2 p.m. 47 athletes are scheduled to start the individual event. Provided the weather cooperates this time. The forecasts are still suboptimal, and there is expected to be rain in addition to the wind.

“We knew it was the most difficult day of the week,” said FIS race director Sandro Pertile. He emphasized that training was “important on one of the most difficult ski jumps in the world.” Basically, two individual rounds are planned for Friday and Saturday, and the team competition is planned for Sunday. But Pertile remained optimistic that a world champion could be crowned in just one round.

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For the Austrians, world record holder Stefan Kraft and Jan Hörl, Michael Hayböck and Manuel Fettner, who won the team competition with him last Saturday in Zakopane, are pretty well seeded for the individual competition. Daniel Tschofenig and Clemens Aigner are hoping for an opportunity to showcase their skills in training and to make an impact. Kraft and co took the postponement calmly. “We didn’t stress ourselves out,” said head coach Andreas Widhölzl. “We took it relatively easy and went to play table tennis.” Basically, the regeneration day was good.

Especially the slightly cold Kraft, who skipped yesterday’s opening evening. “I like the ski jump, I like it very much.” Kraft is particularly looking forward to the view from the ski jump tower into a sea of ​​red-white-red flags and to “a full adrenaline rush when flying”. Head coach Widhölzl has a lot of confidence in his model boy after seven wins this season despite a sore throat and a cold. But also the famously strong flyer Hayböck, Kraft’s roommate.

Flying for medals

At the Planica World Championships in 2020, in the midst of the Corona turmoil, he narrowly missed the individual World Cup podium in fourth place; last year he missed the Kulm due to flu. After a strong season for him so far, he would like to attack again this time. “I’m happy that I’ve gone a step further compared to last season and hope that I can fight for the medals like I did back then,” says Hayböck, who also met his current wife Claudia as a jumper at the Kulm in 2010.

The program

• 10 a.m.: Music breakfast in the fan tent
• 2 p.m.: World Cup individual competition, two rounds
• 3 p.m.: DJ in the fan tent
• 4 p.m.: Music show stage
• 6 p.m.: Ski flying party in Bad Mitterndorf

Saturday, 9 a.m.: Admission

• 10 a.m.: Music breakfast
• 2 p.m.: World Cup individual competition, 3rd/4th passage
• 3 p.m.: DJ in the fan tent
• 4 p.m.: Music show stage
• 6 p.m.: Ski flying party in Bad Mitterndorf

Sunday, 9 a.m.: Admission

• 10 a.m.: Music breakfast
• 2 p.m.: Team competition
• 4.15 p.m.: Medalceremony