Start of the Four Hills Tournament – Crashed in the Snow – Süddeutsche.de

So no one had imagined: Already at the first competition of the Four Hills Tournament German eagle forfeit any overall chances of winning. The success of the Austrian Stefan Kraft, the co-favorites Severin Freund and Richard disappoint Friday.

By Volker circ

The ambitions were big time, but after the first attempt, the German ski jumping team must bury the hopes of overall victory at the Four Hills Tournament. Due to the strong wind jumping was postponed to Monday, so there were fewer viewers, who of course were much quieter than usual, and after the middle of the final round, there was grave mood at the Schattenbergschanze.

Best German was Severin friend Thirteenth, Richard Freitag was only ranked 15, Markus Eisenbichler, the Newcomer of the Year and secret favorites Ärgerer missed the final after a bad first passage completely.

Allen Germans had no words for this idea, especially since the sample jumps of the day were still in the positive trend. “I do not know what was going on,” said Friday. “In competition, the cracks would not come,” said Severin Freund. Werner Schuster, however, was not mince words, although they brought no explanation: “It was a catastrophic passage,” Schuster said. “I did not think that our best can jump so bad.”

Ski Flying World Champion Severin Freund was for flights to 126 and 124.5 meters personalized disappointment.

(Photo: Michael Dalder / Reuters )

His team is thus lagging far behind in the race for the overall victory. At the top was as so often in the tour as a surprise. While Stefan Kraft from Austria counted as a Top Ten Springer of the favorites, but not to the foremost of all. He won in Oberstdorf ahead of his teammate Michael Hayboeck and Peter Prevc from Slovenia. The distance to the Topspringern is huge from the perspective of the defeated by the German Ski Association. Almost 47 points are for Severin Freund, too much to even dream of the title.

It Schuster and the rest of the DSV entourage had tried everything after several disappointments in Oberstdorf adjust the team right this time and to protect their concentration. The dates were scarce, optimizing the environment as possible. But in the competition, which had been postponed by one day due to strong winds, had then set especially the Austrian team coach Heinz Kuttin scene – as if the scandal and the separation of the success coach Alexander Pointner, the changes in the summer and the weak Start never been this winter.

The Germans, especially Severin Freund and Richard Freitag, who considered themselves entitled to favorite this series, can now only set it to on all remaining Jumping Series at least more honorable to present. “We need to check off today and think of the tasks in Garmisch,” Schuster said.

They were not even the only ones who almost speechless searched for this competition for explanations. Also buried all hope had Simon Ammann, the four-time Olympic gold medalist. He will not fulfill his dream of winning the Four Hills Tournament again this winter. Ammann jumped in the first round, although at 133 meters, then crashed but when trying to set the Telemark landing.

Early had indicated that the shoemaker team of at the first stop of the tour in the finals from the depths ranking of the first round had to attack the top. Already the qualification was not even gone according to the wishes of Schuster. Especially Markus Eisenbichler was landed far behind, thus caught in co-duel Johann Andre Forfang no easy opponents.

Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf “pure horror” in the wind

Twelve Springer in two hours, the German Marinus Kraus crashes almost: The Four Hills Tournament experienced a turbulent start after several attempts, the first time the opening event in Oberstdorf canceled. The weather forecast remains problematic. Report

After a moderate length of only 107 meters, he missed the second round. “It just was not my day today,” Eisenbichler said. Friday only had placed fifth in his season shape accordingly, but blundered in the first round as well as Severin Freund, who had to shake for a few seconds around the advancement even to Dmitry Vasilyev.

The distances were finally so great that the competition in the battle for victory in the second round probably no longer employed with cobbler jumpers. Fridays and friend attack in the final round fizzled out, Marinus Kraus, who was also best placed disappointed. About the Stadium of Oberstdorf fell even before the final was jumped, Monday silence.

About five weeks Schuster’s team had accumulated great confidence, and the last training jumps let the fans hope, but then sufficed two passages, and the trainer has much to rebuild. With the confidence he will probably have to start ..