Four Hills Tournament: Austrians Dominate Qualification - Paschke Sixth

Four Hills Tournament: Austrians Dominate Qualification - Paschke Sixth

The German ski jumpers have confidently passed the first hurdle at the Four Hills Tournament, as all qualified for the competition on Sunday. However, the Austrian competitors stole the show with impressive performances.

From the six-member squad of the German Ski Association (DSV), Pius Paschke notably shined at the Schattenbergschanze on Saturday, December 28, 2024, with a jump of 139 meters, finishing in sixth place. Karl Geiger also made it into the top 10 with a jump of 134 meters, securing ninth place. Meanwhile, Andreas Wellinger, last year's runner-up in the tournament, struggled to reach the same heights, finishing in 13th place with a jump of only 125.5 meters.

"Overall, super that everyone qualified," said national coach Stefan Horngacher in a post-qualification interview. For Paschke, the decent placement was vital as he expressed slight tension prior to the event. "I showed a good jump, although the landing was not quite optimal," he noted. Nevertheless, he looked forward to building on this achievement.

Austrian Powerhouses

The highly touted competitors from Austria did not disappoint. Daniel Tschofenig won the qualification with a remarkable jump of 141.5 meters in front of 16,500 spectators, a record for a qualification round in ski jumping, followed by his fellow Austrians Stefan Kraft (137.5m) and Michael Hayböck (141m). The top five positions were completely dominated by Austrian skiers, with Jan Hörl and Maximilian Ortner taking fourth and fifth, respectively.

Andreas Widhölzl, head coach of the Austrian ski jumpers, couldn’t contain his excitement: "Our jumps are already at a very high level. Hats off! The form is right." Austria has been waiting for a triumph at the tournament for a decade, with the last victory being claimed by Kraft in the 2014/15 season.

Promising Starts for Paschke and Geiger

Expectations were high for the German team prior to this year's tournament. Pius Paschke entered as one of the favorites, having achieved five World Cup victories in the individual category in recent weeks. After a fantastic start to the winter, he experienced a slight setback in Engelberg, but he was determined to make a strong comeback.

The qualification also saw Karl Geiger performing well. With a jump of 134 meters during his home event, he confirmed his upward trend from the previous weeks, stating, "I am satisfied with my jump. It's getting better all the time."

However, Wellinger's performance was disappointing given his excellent result from the previous year. "There's still not quite the energy in my jump. I felt okay but lacked the ease in my landing," he remarked.

K.O. Duels on Sunday

• Pius Paschke (6/Kiefersfelden) vs. Adrian Tittel (45/Aue)
• Karl Geiger (9/Oberstdorf) vs. Pawel Wasek (42/Poland)
• Andreas Wellinger (13/Ruhpolding) vs. Alexander Zniszczol (38/Poland)
• Stephan Leyhe (33/Willingen) vs. Benjamin Östvold (18/Norway)
• Philipp Raimund (39/Oberstdorf) vs. Vladimir Zografski (12/Bulgaria)

Other Highlights

Norwegian skier Johann Andre Forfang also showed why he's considered a serious contender this season, jumping 134 meters to finish eighth.

Defending champion Ryoyu Kobayashi from Japan improved his conditions and finished the qualification in eleventh place after jumping 125 meters, aware that this year he will face stiffer competition.

Conclusion

The qualification results have set the stage for an exciting competition, with a strong contingent of Austrian jumpers and high expectations for the German team as they prepare for the next rounds of this prestigious tournament.