Things could get worse
A borderline long winter challenges ski jumpers
February 1, 2024, 1:57 p.m
The Four Hills Tournament and the Ski Flying World Championships are history. But the athletes aren’t wasting time thinking about the end of the season, after all, they still have an absurdly long winter ahead of them. And things could get even wilder in the future, even if there is protest against it.
At least Andreas Wellinger was able to maximize his time at home this time: after just 90 minutes by car, he arrived home in Salzburg with his two medals from the Ski Flying World Championships at Kulm and was able to take a quick breather. Although the two big highlights of the season are history, the World Cup is not even halfway yet. On the agonizingly long road to the holidays, at least the guest appearance in the party stronghold Willingen from Friday promises entertainment.
“Great ski jump, great atmosphere” – the thought of the Hessian Bermuda Triangle of good ski jumping mood with hordes of party-loving fans, especially from the nearby Ruhr area, awakens plenty of good associations for Wellinger. The 28-year-old has very fond memories of the Mühlenkopfschanze, where he won his first home World Cup in 2017 and caused sheer enthusiasm. “I was already able to win in Willingen and show long flights,” said Wellinger: “I’ll do that again this weekend. And then hopefully we’ll have something to celebrate again.” After the World Flying Championships, where he shone with individual silver and team bronze, he wants to continue his long-distance pursuit. “Beautiful ski jump, great scenery,” said Wellinger.
Although the Mühlenkopfschanze is officially the largest large hill in the world, it is actually also a small flying hill: last year, the Slovenian Timi Zajc sailed to 161.5 meters – eight and a half over the hill record – and fell. “That was one of the wildest jumps I’ve ever seen,” says Wellinger. If possible, it shouldn’t be as wild this time. Turning Willingen into a euphoric “Wellingen” again would be in Wellinger’s mind – and the next highlight of an outstanding season: Vice world champion in flying, runner-up in the tour, currently also second in the overall World Cup after a win and seven more podium places.
Willingen is followed by the “Retro Olympic Tour”
After 14 of 32 individual competitions, mind you – the season doesn’t extend into April like the “historically long” (national coach Stefan Horngacher) World Cup season of the previous year, but it is still borderline full. Nine stations on three continents are still waiting until the finale in Planica on March 24th. After Willingen we go on a “retro Olympic tour” to Lake Placid (USA), location of the 1980 Winter Games, and Sapporo/Japan (1972) – then back to Oberstdorf for ski flying. Before things get really wild in March: within 25 days – not including qualifications – there are twelve competitions.
There is already timid resistance to the spring tide. “I prefer it if it’s a little shorter,” said Austria’s head coach Andreas Widhölzl. But if World Association racing director Sandro Pertile has his way, it will be even more in the future, even sooner and even later; he recently talked about a ridiculously long, eight-month season. “One plan could be to start the World Cup with a hybrid period. You could start with three or four competitions on mat as early as October,” said the Italian.
But that would mean crossing a red line. “At some point the body has its limits,” says the Hessian DSV Adler Stephan Leyhe, who has his home game in Willingen: “Jump through eight months – no athlete will be able to do that.”