Ski jumping
74 times a purely men’s event: the tour should become more female
Women will have to wait for a Four Hills Tournament this year too. But the time will soon come – some jumpers now seem to be losing patience.
At Christmas, ski jumpers can traditionally count down the days until the Four Hills Tournament. This does not apply to female ski jumpers. You’ve been counting the years for some time – and you’re still not finished. According to the associations’ wishes, the traditional event for women should finally be held for the first time in December 2026.
Schmid: Don’t believe it until the time comes
But the very last hurdles, such as the construction of floodlights on Innsbruck’s Bergisel or inclusion in the competition calendar of the World Fis Association, have not yet been overcome.
Some athletes are gradually losing faith that the Four Hills Tournament for women will soon happen. “There’s been a lot of talk about it coming next year. But I’ve already said: I won’t believe it until the time comes,” said Katharina Schmid, who has already been through many disappointments and postponements.
The tour is also a purely men’s event in the 74th edition, which begins on Monday (4.30 p.m./ARD and Eurosport) in Oberstdorf. The women around Schmid and Selina Friday are having a so-called two-night tour on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s for the third year. But the new format with competitions in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberstdorf is not the tour in its traditional sequence.
Ski jumpers hope for a springboard
“I think that would be another huge step for women’s ski jumping,” said Freitag, who is hoping for a boost, especially among “normal citizens”. The Four Hills Tournament as a set event in times when there is little sport has built up a reputation over decades, from which women should also benefit in the near future. Freitag sees a tour for women “as a stepping stone”.
This has been a struggle for a long time. Above all, the competition logistics, TV broadcasts and the hotel capacities at the four locations were discussed again and again. Now a solution seems to be in sight. The women’s competitions should take place on the men’s qualifying day. This is already the case in Garmisch this year, which is why the men’s qualification has been pushed back to the unusual time of 4 p.m.
Premiere at the 75th edition?
This process is only problematic in Innsbruck, where floodlights are still missing. The agreement between the Austrian Ski Association and the state of Tyrol to finance a new floodlight system in the Bergisel Stadium is therefore seen as a kind of breakthrough for the premiere of a women’s tour, which could celebrate its 75th anniversary next winter.
Tour president Manfred Schützenhofer recently said in a statement about the upcoming step: “This is fantastic news and exactly the signal we have been waiting for for so long.” German women’s national coach Heinz Kuttin also sees it that way. “It’s time for this to happen. We’re ready,” said the head coach.
The former world champion Schmid still left it open whether she would continue her career for another year for her first tour. “If I waited for competitions like this to keep going, I wouldn’t stop for the next ten years,” said Schmid in Engelberg.
Hannawald to Golden Owl: “Such nonsense”
One person who always advocated an introduction in the original format was Sven Hannawald. The last German overall winner therefore also agrees with the timing of the past few years. “It’s not overdue, but has been developed healthily over the years. During the tour, you always think about it so that you don’t jeopardize the history of the event,” Hannawald told the German Press Agency.
The ARD expert remembers suggestions such as a golden owl for the winner (the winner gets a golden eagle) or a New Year’s jump in Slovenia. “I say: such nonsense,” explained Hannawald.
The former world-class ski jumper said he could understand the criticism of the slow progress. “In the end, the history of the tour is worth more than the career of a single woman,” said Hannawald. The 51-year-old repeatedly cites the Raw Air series in Norway as a negative example. In contrast to the tour, this did not manage to organize an annual procedure at the same locations.
dpa
