Geiger flies past the podium – there is still a chance of overall victory
A decent, but not an outstanding start to the tour: Karl Geiger has to let four others go first
Source: AP / Matthias Schrader
He had hoped otherwise: top jumper Karl Geiger had a good start to the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, but missed the podium. Nevertheless: nothing is lost. Old master Severin Freund surprises – and then experiences bitter disappointment.
Dhe starting position was good, promising, but not ideal: Karl Geiger, Germany’s hope for an end to the dry spell at the Four Hills Tournament, went into the second round of Oberstdorf in third place. Last year he won the season opener in his hometown. In the end, at the fourth station in Bischofshofen, it was enough for second place in the overall ranking.
And although no spectators cheered on the jumpers at the Schattenbergschanze in Oberstdorf this year because of the pandemic, he was able to rely on support: His wife Franziska was allowed to be on site for the jumping – she is the organizer of the award ceremony. Sister Luzia also shared the excitement, works as a volunteer.
And they saw a Karl Geiger who conjured up a decent, but not excellent, jump in the snow in the second run. Instead of making a leap forward in the daily standings, he fell back to fifth. The victory went to the Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi ahead of the Norwegian Halvor Egner Granerud and his compatriot Robert Johansson.
“At first I was a bit disappointed,” said Geiger. “The jump was good, but not as good as I can.”
Nevertheless: the gaps are small. Geiger has created a good starting position to win the overall ranking this time after third place in 2020 and second place in 2021. Markus Eisenbichler is also involved as seventh at the start. It would be a German’s first touring triumph since Sven Hannawald won 20 years ago.
Severin Freund surprised, but …
Andreas Wellinger was condemned to watch at the first tour jumping event. The 2018 Olympic champion surprisingly missed qualifying for the opening competition the day before as 51st. Wellinger has had a difficult time in sporting terms: after a cruciate ligament rupture and a long compulsory break, he struggled on his return last winter, but then came back this December with a sixth place in the top ten. It looked like he could slowly regain his old strength in time for the Olympic Games in Beijing. That things didn’t go too well in Engelberg just before Christmas didn’t have to mean anything – but now the spectator role in Oberstdorf.
Severin Freund jumped surprisingly strong – and then experienced a disappointment
Source: AP / Matthias Schrader
Quite different from Severin Freund, who surprised with ninth place in qualifying the day before. The former German show jumper, world champion and overall World Cup winner has had to leave the limelight to others since two cruciate ligament ruptures, hip and meniscus operations and did not even jump on the World Cup team this winter until the tour. In qualifying, he then surprised with ninth place. And when it came down to it on Wednesday evening, he flew to a good 124.5 meters in difficult conditions. But then that: The 33-year-old is disqualified. His suit wasn’t compliant. Bitter.
“We worked to the best of our knowledge and belief,” said Freund afterwards. “It’s a shame because the jump was really worth something. But the material has to be right and it is precisely controlled – it didn’t fit me. “
From a German point of view, the focus was then on the two hopes for the overall standings: Eisenbichler and above all Geiger, who triumphed on his home hill last year. The fact that he was now touring as the World Cup leader left him cold, at least outwardly. “The pressure was not little in the last few years,” said the 28-year-old before the first competition. “I have learned something new and feel up to the task, I feel ready.”
Karl Geiger jumps into position
Eisenbichler started both in the first round. With 129.5 meters he managed a good jump, but not one of the extra class that he can do. Tenth place at halftime and thus one place behind team-mate Stephan Leyhe. And then, at 5.16 p.m., Karl Geiger let the German coaches, jumpers, fans and his family breathe a sigh of relief: 131.5 meters at the end of the first round meant third place behind the two Norwegians Johansson and Granerud and ahead of the third Norwegian Marius Lindvik and the Japanese Kobayashi.
For the second round, everything was still possible for the Oberstdorfer – but he did not succeed in the optimum. But Eisenbichler flew a few places up and finished seventh. Leyhe finished ninth, Pius Paschke jumped to 26th place.
Karl Geiger approaching the 131.5 meters in the first round
Source: dpa / Daniel Karmann
Now the athletes will go on to the second tour station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the New Year’s competition will be on the program after qualifying on Friday (2 p.m. ZDF / Eurosport).
Last year the Germans went there empty-handed: Geiger lost a few points in fifth, Eisenbichler in seventh. But both can shine on this hill: Karl Geiger celebrated two years ago on New Year’s Day as second on the podium, Markus Eisenbichler in 2018.
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