Ski jumping national coach Stefan Horngacher has nominated five athletes for the upcoming Four Hills Tournament.
In addition to the top jumpers Karl Geiger and Andreas Wellinger, Pius Paschke, Stephan Leyhe and Philipp Raimund were also taken into account, as the German Ski Association (DSV) announced on Boxing Day.
“Four athletes from this quintet have been on the podium this season, Karl Geiger and Pius Paschke have won World Cups. The team spirit is great, the active members push each other and treat themselves to their successes,” said Horngacher.
On Friday (5.15 p.m./ARD and Eurosport) the first of the four competitions at the traditional event is on the program in Oberstdorf. Geiger, Wellinger and Paschke are considered the strongest challengers to top favorite Stefan Kraft from Austria. As expected, former world champion Markus Eisenbichler was not taken into account.
The women around three-time world champion Katharina Schmid are completing the so-called two-night tournament for the first time with stops in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (December 30th) and Oberstdorf (January 1st). “I’m really looking forward to the Two-Nights Tour, even though it’s not yet a Four Hills Tournament for us – I almost can’t hear myself saying it anymore,” said Schmid, who was called Althaus until her wedding last summer. The Allgäu woman leads the German team for the premiere.
