Double chance of World Cup gold: DSV-Adler deliver a terrific flight show

Double chance for World Cup gold
DSV-Adler deliver a terrific flight show

Karl Geiger is surprisingly ahead of Norwegian favorites Halvor Egner Granerud and Markus Eisenbichler at halftime at the Ski Flying World Championships in Planica, Slovenia. The Allgäuer flies at 241 and 223.5 meters – Eisenbichler manages an even bigger set. The decision will be made on Saturday.

Karl Geiger (Oberstdorf) is heading for the title course at the Ski Flying World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, and favorite Markus Eisenbichler (Siegsdorf) still has every chance in the fight for gold. After the first two of four rounds on the legendary Letalnica, Geiger is in the lead on 245.5 and 223.5 meters with 431.2 points, Eisenbichler moved up to third with a dream flight in the second round.

"That was awesome," Geiger exclaimed with delight. Eisenbichler commented spontaneously in the run: "Geiger is ahead, yeah!" The starting position before rounds three and four on Saturday (4 p.m. / ZDF and Eurosport) could hardly be better.

With the best distance of the day of 247.0 m, Eisenbichler flew within one meter of his German record, which he had achieved in Planica in 2017 and 2019. "That's why I love ski jumping. In the second, I detonated a grenade," said "Eisei". In the first round he had had bad luck on his flight at 220.0 m. With 425.7 points, the winner of the qualification is four and a half meters behind Geiger.

Special world title beckons

Not even a meter ahead of Eisenbichler is his long-term competitor Halvor Egner Granerud (Norway) in second place, who had significantly worse conditions in the second round and scored 426.6 points (221.0 + 229.5 m). Everything seems possible on Saturday. "We jumped into a good starting position for tomorrow," commented national coach Stefan Horngacher.

Pius Paschke (Kiefersfelden) convinced at his World Cup premiere and took 11th place in the intermediate ranking (395.7 / 212.5 + 224.5). Youngster Constantin Schmid is just behind in 13th place (389.4 / 216.5 + 219.5).

Eisenbichler could become the third German after Hans-Georg Aschenbach (1973/1974) and Severin Freund (2014/2015) to be world champion on the large hill and in ski flying at the same time. Freund missed a place on the German team in the official training rounds on Thursday.

. (tagsToTranslate) sport (t) ski jumping (t) winter sport (t) world championships