New opportunities for women (nd current)

At least at the start of this Olympic winter, the flying women only play second fiddle again. While the male ski jumping world elite is starting the new World Cup season in Russia this weekend, the female ski jumpers will not experience their first competition until a week later on the “Stork Trampoline” in Nizhny Tagil in the Urals. The time lag when jumping into winter is only a snapshot – because the coming season should bring equality in the air a good bit further.

The best German athlete, Katharina Althaus, is of course happy too. “We will have two chances for a medal for the first time thanks to the premiere of the mixed competition at the Olympics,” says the mixed world champion from 2021, looking ahead to the winter games next February. In addition to the Olympic single jump on the normal hill, which has been taking place on the normal hill since 2014, medals will also be awarded in Beijing for the first time in a mixed team competition with two women and two men from one nation. Germany is one of the favorites here: after all, Althaus, Anna Rupprecht Karl Geiger and Markus Eisenbichler won the title at the home world championships last winter in Oberstdorf in this very popular competition among aviators.

But that’s not the only positive change for the women: The jumpers will be competing on 14 World Cup weekends this winter. That is twice as many as in the pre-winter and almost as many as for men – if Corona doesn’t throw a spanner in the works again. The number of weekends when men and women will determine their best in the same place is also increasing rapidly. In Germany, for example, both genders will be at the start together in Klingenthal from December 10th to 12th and Willingen from January 28th to 30th. “We’re all particularly excited about Willingen,” reveals Althaus. After all, the party stronghold not only has the »largest large hill in the world«, but also huge crowds of fans.

This is topped at most by the Four Hills Tournament, which is taking place in its 70th edition this winter. A ski jumping grand slam of their own has been the biggest, but still unfulfilled wish of ski jumpers for years. At the turn of the year there is at least the first step on the way to the big goal. In Slovenia, for the first time, a New Year’s competition will also be held for women on the Ljubno ski jump. According to information from Maximilian Mechler, the new national coach of the German athletes, a “real” Four Hills Tournament is planned for next winter.

The traditional tour this winter is the first highlight for the men in a winter packed with major events. In addition to the Olympics in Beijing from February 4th to 20th, the ski flying world championships on the world’s largest ski jump in Vikersund are also on the agenda. Karl Geiger will be the defending champion in Norway after he sensationally won the title fights in Planica, which were postponed due to Corona last December. For the Oberstdorf resident, however, the other two mega-events of the winter are at the top of the wish list. “It would be a dream if a German finally wins the Four Hills Tournament again,” says Geiger himself. After all, Sven Hannawald’s last overall German victory was 20 years ago. Almost a year ago, Geiger was able to sniff at the great tour triumph, finishing second overall. In his spectacular collection of successes, the concentration miracle is still missing a gold medal at the Olympics.

Big goals that drove the young family man to work even harder. He has already proven that he is in top form at the German championships. At the end of October he won like his Oberstdorf club colleague Althaus in Oberhof. “We can expect a lot from Karl, also because he has laid out his family life well. Its current status is better than last year and it has matured further, ”reports Stefan Horngacher. The national coach does not only expect top performances from him, because the entire German team could fly into the absolute world elite.

In addition to the second German co-favorite, Markus Eisenbichler, team world champion Pius Paschke, Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger and top talent Constantin Schmid, Stephan Leyhe also fought his way back into the team after a cruciate ligament rupture. He won the week-long internal duel against veteran Severin Freund, who will have to look for his chance in the second-rate Continental Cup in what may be his last career winter. Another former pilot like Richard Freitag has no chance at all – he is therefore thinking about the end of his career.

The name Friday should, however, continue to play a role in ski jumping broadcasts. Richard’s little sister Selina has made the leap into the top German and can look forward to participating in the Olympics under the new national coach. The number of medal opportunities for the 20-year-old and her colleagues at the Winter Games could continue to grow in the future. At the 2026 Olympics in Milan, the women hope for the premiere of large hill jumping. And a team competition of its own is not yet part of the Olympic program. Thus, according to the number of medal chances at the Olympics, the men are still 4-2.

Another important concern of women is more large hill jumping – and finally the first ski flying. They also play in a smaller league when it comes to prize money. At least 71,800 Swiss francs – of which at least 10,000 are for the winner – will be paid out at each individual men’s World Cup. For women it is “only” 25,194 Swiss francs, of which 3,800 for the winner. “That has to do with the fact that the organizers can earn money with a men’s World Cup, while the women are mostly still a subsidy business,” said former national coach Andreas Bauer. So there is still a long way to go before the female pilots will achieve equality.