Paschke leads the team for the Tournee - Eisenbichler omitted

Ski Jumping: Paschke leads the team for the Tournee - Eisenbichler omitted

As the team heads into the 73rd Four Hills Tournament, Pius Paschke stands out, but Markus Eisenbichler has been omitted. The tournament kick-off is set for Saturday in Oberstdorf.

Alongside the strong showing this winter from Paschke, Bundestrainer Stefan Horngacher has selected Andreas Wellinger, Karl Geiger, Stephan Leyhe, and Philipp Raimund for the first highlight of the winter. Junior World Champion Adrian Tittel will also compete thanks to a special spot.

Eisenbichler, another top jumper, who was part of the World Cup lineup has been left out, leading to a reduction from seven to six jumpers for the Tournee. Having previously finished as the Tournee's second in 2018/19, he won’t join the squad, but will participate in the national group’s New Year's outing. The last German winner of the Tournee was Sven Hannawald in 2001/02.

According to Horngacher, there is a positive atmosphere in the team: "We have the privilege of creating a lot of attention for our sport. We want to draw inspiration from these positive emotions to perform at the highest level." Qualification takes place on Saturday in Oberstdorf, with the first jump scheduled for Sunday.

Paschke and Wellinger as Hopefuls

Paschke, in particular, is becoming a source of hope this winter. The 34-year-old from Kiefersfelden has won five of the ten World Cup jumping events so far and achieved seven podium finishes. Wellinger also celebrated victory in Kuusamo, while Geiger placed third there.

Eisenbichler will have to wait, sharing his disappointment about not participating in Oberstdorf: "Not being able to jump there truly hurts when I consider my condition right now. However, I realize I wasn't consistent in recent competitions and must bring that to the paper. It’s not overly dramatic for me at this point, as I know I'm not in a position to win the Tournee in my current form."