Wellinger Clinches Victory in Hinzenbach

In an impressive display of skill, Andreas Wellinger marked an exceptional weekend at the FIS Grand Prix in Hinzenbach. After securing second place on Saturday, the German ski jumper triumphed on Sunday, edging out Austria's Jan Hoerl by a mere 0.9 points.

Austrian competitors Stefan Kraft and Daniel Tschofenig claimed third and fourth places, respectively.

Wellinger's start to the 2024 FIS Grand Prix couldn’t have been better. As he left Hinzenbach for next weekend's Grand Prix final in Klingenthal, he expressed his surprise at his performance: “It was really surprising for me that it went so well here in Hinzenbach. My summer training was challenging, but I spoke with my coaches and set myself a goal here—somewhere between a podium finish and a 20th to 25th place. It was tough to gauge my standing internationally, but as the training progressed on Friday, things improved considerably. Now, I feel like I've had two really great competitions,” he said, his excitement evident.

“These results are incredibly important and valuable to me. The first Grand Prix of the summer often needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, yet here, you can start to see a clearer comparison with the competitors. With just six weeks until the World Cup kicks off, I’m feeling closer to where I want to be for the winter season. I’ll keep pushing my training forward, and soon enough, we’ll be in Lillehammer,” Wellinger analyzed his weekend.

Jan Hoerl secured second place, just shy of Wellinger’s score. Hoerl had a strong start, leading after the first round but ultimately fell short in the final jump. “I’m really happy with second place today, along with my third from yesterday. Things are coming together nicely, although my last jump wasn’t quite perfect—I may have been a bit too aggressive there. Still, my fundamental jumps are solid, and I can build on that. I’m looking forward to the final in Klingenthal and hope to replicate this success,” Hoerl remarked.

Stefan Kraft, the reigning World Cup champion, finished third. The Salzburg native expressed his relief at finally making the podium in Hinzenbach, a hill he often finds challenging. “I’m thrilled to be on the podium here, especially after two days of stable jumps. Finishing 5th and 3rd demonstrates that I'm heading in the right direction. Due to the athletes’ gala next week, where I’m honored to be nominated, I won’t be competing in the Grand Prix final in Klingenthal,” he added. By sitting out, Kraft makes way for the showdown between Pawel Wasek from Poland and Alex Insam from Italy in the overall Grand Prix standings.

Wasek left a strong impression with a 5th place finish, compared to Insam’s 10th, putting him in the lead for the overall standings with 323 points as they approach the final competition. Insam, with 299 points, remains a contender but would need to outscore Wasek significantly in Klingenthal to clinch the title. Wasek now controls his destiny to possibly secure his first major international title next weekend.

Dawid Kubacki of Poland rounded out the top six, followed closely by German team members Philipp Raimund, Pius Paschke, and Karl Geiger. Both the German and Austrian teams delivered impressive performances throughout the weekend.

Looking ahead, the Grand Prix final is set for next weekend, featuring both an individual competition on Saturday and a mixed team event on Sunday. This competition will be a crucial lead-up to the World Cup slated for November 22nd and 23rd in Lillehammer, Norway.