For many Nordic skiers it is the highlight of the season: on Tuesday the World Championships in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined will open in Slovenia. What are the German athletes’ chances of medals? Who are the big stars and where can you watch the World Cup? The most important things before the start of the World Cup:
What are the German chances?
So far this winter, the ski jumpers have rarely been able to repeat the strong performances and results of the past few years. At the Four Hills Tournament, Karl Geiger, Markus Eisenbichler and their colleagues were farther away from the top than they had been for a long time.
Recent victories by Andreas Wellinger at the World Cup in the USA and in Romania were encouraging. However, the German jumpers competed in the dress rehearsal in Rasnov with almost no international top competition. In the women’s category, Katharina Althaus has regained her old strength and is one of the gold candidates.
In the Nordic Combined, the greatest hopes rest on Julian Schmid from Oberstdorf and Olympic champion Vinzenz Geiger. With three wins and four more podium places, Schmid is the winner of the season in the German team so far. Thanks to his enormous running strength, Geiger is always good for a podium place if he doesn’t get too far behind in jumping.
In cross-country skiing, the chances of a medal are better than they have been for a long time. The cross-country skiers around the team sprint Olympic champions Katharina Hennig and Victoria Carl have gradually improved in recent years and made the German team competitive again.
Who are the biggest international favorites at the World Cup?
In the ski jumpers, the Norwegian Halvor Egner Granerud has the best chance of winning. The Four Hills Tournament winner is the most consistent athlete so far this season. The Austrian Johannes Lamparter recently presented himself in impressive form in the combined events.
In no other discipline, however, is the role of the top favorite as clear as in the Nordic Combined: Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen won nine of nine World Cup races. In cross-country skiing, too, the front runners in the World Cup come from Norway. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Tiril Udnes Weng are the biggest favourites.
What are the special features of this World Cup?
After the world championship premiere at the title fights in Oberstdorf in 2021, the Nordic combined women have two chances for a medal this time. After the individual, a mixed team competition is also on the program for the first time at a World Championship. Two women and two men start in a team. The men’s team sprint is no longer included.
There are a total of 24 medal decisions in Planica – twelve in cross-country skiing, seven in ski jumping and five in Nordic combined. Athletes from Russia and Belarus, who are excluded from the World Cup and Ukraine due to the Russian war of aggression, have no chance of winning a medal.
Where can I watch the World Cup on TV?
ARD and ZDF share coverage of the World Cup. ZDF will broadcast the first medal decisions on Thursday. All decisions can also be seen at Eurosport.
