Ski flying
Four weeks after the World Cup on the Kulm and four weeks before the World Cup final, which is also scheduled for a flying hill in Planica, the final phase of the Ski Jumping World Cup is also taking place this week in Oberstdorf with long flights. Twelve individual competitions are still outstanding this winter, two of which are now on the weekend (4 p.m. each) in the Allgäu. A super team competition will take place on Friday (3:45 p.m., live on ORF1). As on the Kulm, the hill size is 235 meters.
22.02.2024 16.01
Online since today, 4:01 p.m
Overall World Cup leader Stefan Kraft generally feels at home in Oberstdorf, which is why he was crowned large hill world champion there three years ago. On the Heini-Klopfer-Flugbakken he secured two victories in 2017 and one in 2022, and the Salzburg native also came third once in 2019 and 2022. This year he and the competition are coming to Oberstdorf after a kind of trip around the world, having jumped in Willingen three weeks ago, in Lake Placid two weeks ago and in Sapporo last week. “Everyone will be a little tired and exhausted from the trip,” Kraft said about it.
The time difference to Japan played a bit into the athletes’ hands, so they were back home on Monday. But the journey to Oberstdorf took place on Wednesday, where the first of two qualifications is planned for Thursday (4:40 p.m.). Kraft stated that he usually had fewer problems with jet lag and showed anticipation despite all the exertion: “When you hear ski flying, you always get a few extra grains.” His teammate Manuel Fetter feels the same way: “It’s a tight schedule. But I’m looking forward to ski flying.”
GEPA/Thomas Bachun Kraft clearly feels at home in Oberstdorf; he was crowned large hill world champion there three years ago
Kraft clearly feels comfortable in Oberstdorf
Two years ago, ski flying world record holder Kraft and the Slovenian Timi Zajc shared the Oberstdorf victories, and the Slovenian third place in the World Championships from Kulm can probably be expected again. The Pole Kamil Stoch and the current Japanese long-term runner-up Ryoyu Kobayashi have also already flown to victory in Oberstdorf. Kraft will return as defending champion to the Ski Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf in two years; Norwegian Daniel-Andre Tande won the last World Cup event there in 2018.
In the World Cup, Kraft, who has already won ten times this season including the second day of the World Cup, is 205 points ahead of Kobayashi and 284 points ahead of Andreas Wellinger. The German ski flying vice world champion recently achieved a home victory at the Four Hills Tournament at the end of December on the HS137 hill. With his 40th World Cup victory, Kraft could move into third place in the “all-time ranking”. Austria’s team is completed by Daniel Huber, Jan Hörl, Daniel Tschofenig and Michael Hayböck. The latter was not in Japan and comes into the team instead of Clemens Aigner.
Combined flight day canceled
On Thursday, the Nordic combined athletes would also have been able to fly in Oberstdorf; this trip to a larger ski jump had been long-awaited by Johannes Lamparter and Co. However, the warm weather made it necessary to cancel; the entire ÖSV team would have taken part. The team around overall World Cup runner-up Stefan Rettenegger trained in Planica on Tuesday. On Monday the group supervised by Christoph Bieler will go to Lahti/Finland, where they will jump from Tuesday. The World Cup will continue there at the end of next week.
2024-02-22 15:01:27
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