“Ridiculous”: Hannawald Criticizes Ski Jumping Scandal

German Mixed Ski Jumping Mixed Event in Willingen

The German ski jumping team celebrated a podium finish in the mixed event at Willingen. The quartet—Katharina Schmid, Philipp Raimund, Selina Freitag, and closing jumper Andreas Wellinger—scored 988.8 points on the world’s largest large hill, earning them third place behind Norway (1070.8) and Austria (1031.4).

The controversy arose after the Slovenian team came under fire once again following the disqualification of world champion Timi Zajc. Initially, Slovenia had been leading the event until Zajc was disqualified for issues related to the team’s jumping suits—a topic that has already sparked heated debate. In a provocative twist, Zajc made mocking gestures towards the jury after his landing, which did not go down well with many. DSV legend Sven Hannawald expressed his disbelief, calling the entire episode “ridiculous” and “a theater.” In a related incident, teammate Anze Lanisek was seen demonstratively gesturing by placing his finger on his mouth.

This isn’t the first time such controversies have marred mixed competitions. Memories of the mixed event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing—where five top female jumpers were disqualified, leaving the German team in ninth place—have resurfaced.

Additional Context and Upcoming Events

While the mixed event delivered drama, the German team showed overall solidity. Despite the absence of the currently out-of-form Pius Paschke, the team secured third place already after the first round, a position that remained unchallenged later in the competition.

Historically, at the World Championships the German team has clinched consecutive gold on five occasions. Their next major test is set for March 6 in Trondheim, with a World Cup general rehearsal scheduled for February 8 in Lake Placid (USA).

On Saturday, individual events for women (starting at 12:30) and men (with live coverage from 16:00) are on the agenda, followed by additional men’s events on Sunday from 16:10.