Seven fat years are followed by seven lean years. After the start of the Four Hills Tournament, Austria’s ski jumping elite will have to get used to this biblical saying. After seven overall Austrian victories at the Nordic classic until 2014/15 in a row, the seventh consecutive zero number after a crash in Oberstdorf is unlikely to be averted. Daniel Huber in eighth and best red-white-red “eagle” is now 33 points behind overall leader Ryoyu Kobayashi.
The Japanese is also one of the closest favorites for the New Year’s jump on Saturday (2 p.m., ORF 1) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the qualification is already on the program today (2 p.m., ORF 1). Now it is important for the ÖSV athletes to get back on track.
Bad memories
That’s easier said than done. Because in the recent past in Garmisch success stories from a red-white-red point of view were limited.
On January 1st, 2021, Philipp Aschenwald jumped from the Olympic hill to sixth place, Stefan Kraft landed 28th in the heavily beaten field. In 2020 Daniel Huber was sixth, Kraft 13. And in 2019, Huber (15th) and Manuel Fettner (28th), only two ÖSV athletes made it into the top 30.
Andreas Widhölzl does not want to be reminded of such sobering ideas, the ÖSV head coach tries to exude optimism, even if that is not easy at the moment. “This hill suits us as much or less than others. And the pressure is gone now – unfortunately, one has to say.”
Mario Stecher, the sports director in the ÖSV for ski jumping and Nordic combined, highlighted the “very, very good performance” of Huber, otherwise he described the performance with the season winners Kraft and Jan Hörl in ranks twelve and 17 as the next best of the ÖSV But ranked as disappointing. For Stecher, the modest weather (rain, wind) was decisive for the Oberstdorf result. “The conditions blatantly demonstrated our weaknesses.”
Specifically, the jumping style of the Austrians is oriented too far forward for such wet conditions, so that the balance from the crouch suffers and ultimately leads to less distance. “The move towards the overall tour standings has definitely left,” admitted Stecher.
Widhölzl doesn’t want to know that his athletes are fair-weather jumpers. “I don’t accept any excuses. We have won in all circumstances, you have to be prepared for that,” said the 45-year-old. “It was more the approach to the competition, that maybe there was too much expectation and one fell into old patterns. You have to talk about that,” emphasized Widhölzl.
World champion Kraft wants to leave negative thoughts of Oberstdorf behind and attack with full vigor in the new year. “I have to see that I can do it in Garmisch and get a little bit by bit,” said the 28-year-old from Salzburg.
Source: Nachrichten
