Not there at the start
Eisenbichler’s ten-year tour series is coming to an end
December 20, 2023, 5:25 p.m
Former world champion Markus Eisenbichler has been competing at every start of the Four Hills Tournament for more than ten years. This time he will be missing: Because of his poor form, there is no place in the German ski jumping team.
Former world champion Markus Eisenbichler will be missing from the start of the Four Hills Tournament for the first time since 2012. As the German Ski Association confirmed, Andreas Wellinger, Karl Geiger, Pius Paschke, Stephan Leyhe and Philipp Raimund will be taking part in the first competition in Oberstdorf on December 29th. There is no national group, so national coach Stefan Horngacher only has five places available.
The poor Eisenbichler has not yet played in the World Cup this winter, and he also fell short of expectations in the second-class Continental Cup. On the 2018/19 tour, the six-time world champion finished second behind the Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi; two years ago he came fifth.
Martin Hamann, who has previously competed in the World Cup, also has to watch as the team is reduced from six to five places. “Unfortunately, I will only be able to watch the start of the Four Hills Tournament on television. I will then join the team as part of the national group at the New Year’s competition in Garmisch,” wrote Hamann sport.de.
Geiger sees six DSV Adler with chances of top placements
The 32-year-old Eisenbichler could also be part of the extended German team on New Year’s Day, but he has to take part in the Continental Cup competitions on the 27th/28th. Recommend December in Engelberg/Switzerland. The DSV is allowed to enter an additional national group in two home competitions per season; it does not always choose the two tour competitions for this purpose. In Innsbruck (January 3rd) and Bischofshofen (January 6th) Horngacher has to reduce the size of his team again. Only a top result in Garmisch-Partenkirchen would enable Eisenbichler to start at the stations in Austria.
Meanwhile, teammate Geiger sees six DSV eagles with a chance of top placements at the Four Hills Tournament. “I go so far as to say that all six of us on the World Cup team have the potential for a podium finish – apart from me, Andi Wellinger, Pius Paschke, Stephan Leyhe, Martin Hamann and Philipp Raimund,” said the 30-year-old of the ” “Sports Picture”.
The first contender for the Golden Eagle is an Austrian for the five-time world champion Geiger. “The top favorite is definitely Stefan Kraft. But in the German team we are more broadly positioned than ever before,” he said. Kraft won five of the eight winter competitions, the rest went to Geiger (2) and Pius Paschke. In the overall World Cup, Kraft is ahead of Wellinger (2nd), Paschke (3rd) and Geiger (4th), Leyhe (10th), Raimund (18th) and Hamann (27th) are also doing well in the race.
The last German overall winner is still Sven Hannawald, who even won all four competitions in 2001/02. “Of course the pressure is great. But we didn’t do that much wrong when you see how often we came second. I was also within striking distance of winning the tour for four years. Unfortunately, the momentum wasn’t on our side. It is “It just happened stupidly,” said Geiger.