Nordic World Cup: Pinkelnig takes a run at the crown

For Pinkelnig, who was able to celebrate five of her six victories on normal hills, i.e. Bakken with a hill size of up to 109 meters, in the current season, it is about the first individual medal at a major event. Pinkelnig already has two silver medals from the team and mixed competitions at the home World Championships in Seefeld in 2019. The Vorarlberg native missed the 2021 World Championships in Oberstdorf due to her ruptured spleen in a training fall in December.

A zero number for the World Cup leaders in Planica of all places would be a huge sensation. Because Pinkelnig has been surfing a wave of success since November. Only in four of the 21 individual competitions so far did the 34-year-old not stand on the podium. Pinkelnig doesn’t want to and can’t come up with a simple explanation for her flight. “There isn’t one reason, there is rarely a reason for defeats and rarely for victories, there’s just a lot going on together. It’s just the pieces of the puzzle that fit together,” said Pinkelnig.

With pleasure to success

Decisive changes are responsible for the successful run, according to the Dornbirner, but Pinkelnig did not want to reveal any details, which was not surprising. “That’s the secret I won’t tell. But there are many factors, everything that makes up ski jumping comes into play – athletics, jumping technique, material, the perfect set-up.” She made several adjustments, made her own way, and at some point it “clicked”.

The season has therefore been a single pleasure so far, says Pinkelnig: “It’s the moments when I’m with myself, when I feel freedom. Where I can feel what my body and my mind are capable of.” She won’t be able to do the ski jumping that she only learned in her mid-20s for much longer, and that’s why she’s enjoying every moment now, said the title candidate. Regardless of the outcome: “If I call up my performance, I can laugh about fifth place.”

cruisers back in time

But peeing is not the only ace that Austria’s head coach Harald Rodlauer has in his hand in medal poker. Chiara Kreuzer is also on a high – and conveniently in time for the World Cup. “I’ve never been in good shape for a World Championship,” said the Salzburg native. The 25-year-old recently proved that she can be at the forefront on normal hills, and not only with her victory in Hinzenbach.

Kreuzer is relieved that she is back on the road to success on new ski material after initial problems, partly caused by several breaks due to illness. “I made my way forward step by step. I’m really happy that the path ended like this,” said the seven-time winner of World Cup jumping, who was also crowned world champion with the team in Oberstdorf in 2021.

At that time Sara Marita Kramer flew ahead in the Austrian team, this time the World Cup title defender is only an outsider in the fight for the medals after a mixed season so far. The Salzburger returns to Planica straight from her break of several weeks after unconvincing performances. “I can just go in completely relaxed, there are zero expectations,” said the 21-year-old.

According to the coach, the team is on the right track

Apart from the uncertainty about Kramer, ÖSV head coach Rodlauer can be very confident. “Things have gone very well in the last few months and weeks, especially for Eva with her outstanding season. Chiara has also gotten in better shape. We are on the right track.” For Pinkelnig, a medal is not a sure-fire success or even mandatory, the competition is too strong for that. “Other nations also have top athletes. There are only three medals, so a lot has to be right and you also need luck on the day, but the prerequisites are there,” said Rodlauer.

Defending champion and after a strong season one of the favorites on her home hill is Ema Klinec from Slovenia. The German overall World Cup runner-up Katharina Althaus is also one of the winner tips, like Pinkelnig a six-time winner of the season. Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, Austria’s longtime showjumper and only former world champion in an individual competition, is injured this time.

The only individual World Cup medalist in the current Austrian World Cup team is Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, who won bronze in 2013. But this time she didn’t make it into the squad. Julia Mühlbacher, who was third in Rasnov, got the preference after strong training jumps. “The fact that I can be there is the added bonus. Nobody expected that,” said 18-year-old Mühlbacher, third at the Junior World Championships.

The ÖSV quartet confidently competed in the qualification, in which 40 of 57 athletes made it into the main competition. Eva Pinkelnig was classified as the best ÖSV with 99 meters in fifth place. World Championship debutant Mühlbacher (95.5) was eleventh, Kramer (90.0) 22nd and Kreuzer (90.0) 26th. The Norwegian Anna Odine Ström, who was already very strong in training, was the best with also 99 meters, she received more wind points as peeing. The German Katharina Althaus (98.5), the Japanese Yuki Ito (94.5) and the Canadian Alexandria Loutitt with the maximum jump of 99.5 meters landed in the next places.