Philipp Raimund and Felix Hoffmann jumped really well on the Olympic ski jump, Andreas Wellinger “tasted blood”: After the failed start to the Olympics by the German ski jumpers, their colleagues want to do better on Monday and celebrate at the award ceremony. “Nobody is interested in anything from fourth place onwards anyway,” says Wellinger. “That’s why: take the full risk and then we’ll see what happens.”
For the 30-year-old, who was crowned Olympic champion on the normal hill in Pyeongchang eight years ago, the third winter games could be his last Winter Games. For Raimund and Hoffmann these are the first in Italy.
Raimund, Hoffmann and the new role
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“I really feel like it,” says Raimund. In Predazzo he fulfills a “childhood dream”. The 25-year-old, who wants to enjoy the international sports festival outside of the competition with his open nature, is the most consistent jumper from national coach Stefan Horngacher’s team this season. Raimund and Hoffmann have each jumped onto the podium several times.
They have stepped out of the shadow of the German top performers of recent years such as Wellinger, Karl Geiger and Markus Eisenbichler. Raimund and Hoffmann are now the ones in the spotlight and in demand for interviews. A position that the introverted Hoffmann in particular had to get used to.
“They have grown in their new role,” Horngacher told the German Press Agency. “They’re definitely up to something.” The 56-year-old, who is leaving his position after this season, also says: “There is actually nothing standing in the way of us winning a medal.”
First good training
In the first training session on the converted ski jump, Hoffmann and Raimund showed with strong jumps that they are a force to be reckoned with. Hoffmann took third, first and second place in three rounds. Raimund also took second place.
Wellinger: “The gears mesh again”
It was not foreseeable for a long time that Wellinger would suddenly also play a role in the precious metal mission. The veteran is having a very difficult season. Wellinger was eliminated from the World Cup in qualifying and missed the second round. At the Olympic dress rehearsal in Willingen he suddenly made people sit up and take notice with sixth and eighth place.
“He’s already been replaced to some extent. He tasted blood,” says sports director Horst Hüttel. Wellinger himself speaks of a “battle that has cost me a lot of energy in the last few months”. He spent a long time searching for his feeling of flying. He seems to have found it again just in time for the peak of the season.
“The most important thing for me is that I know: body, skis with the air – it will become one again,” he explains. “The gears are meshing again. It’s getting easier again. I have the feeling that I’m floating in the air again.”
Prevc is the big favorite
Of course, Wellinger is still not the top favorite. Anything other than an Olympic victory for World Cup dominator and Four Hills Tournament winner Domen Prevc would be a surprise. Especially on the normal hill, where the first medals will be awarded to the jumpers on Monday (7 p.m./ARD and Eurosport), the competitions are often very exciting and close. The German team also wants to use this.
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