German ski jumper Karl Geiger suffered a major setback with 53rd place in the qualification for the Four Hills Tournament opener in Oberstdorf, missing the main event. Slovenian Domen Prevc won ahead of Philipp Raimund, who finished second and sparks hope for German success. Geiger expressed bitter disappointment over his performance.
In Oberstdorf, Karl Geiger's hometown, the qualification for the first competition of the Four Hills Tournament took place. The 32-year-old five-time world champion jumped only 106.5 meters, landing in 53rd place and thus missing the main field of the top 50 athletes. Geiger must watch the jump on Monday (4:30 p.m., ARD and Eurosport).
"This is a sentence with X, it's pretty bitter. You have to take it upright, there's no help. It tastes rather sour, the whole pill," Geiger said in the ARD broadcast. In the interview zone, he added frustratedly: "That was a clean grab into the toilet. It really annoys me."
In contrast was the success of Philipp Raimund: The 25-year-old jumped 132.5 meters and secured second place, only behind Slovenian favorite Domen Prevc with 139.5 meters. Third was Austrian defending champion Daniel Tschofenig. Raimund thus fuels hopes for the first German overall victory since Sven Hannawald's triumph in 2002 – 24 years ago.
Other qualified Germans are Felix Hoffmann (12th), Pius Paschke (21st), Andreas Wellinger (39th, 117 meters), Constantin Schmid (44th), and Luca Roth (46th). Wellinger was not satisfied with his distance but qualified unlike Geiger. "That hurts us all in the soul," commented former jumper Hannawald on Geiger's failure.
In front of 15,500 spectators in sunny weather, the atmosphere in Oberstdorf, the picturesque Allgäu town and host of the 2021 World Championships, was exuberant. The arena is sold out for Monday. Next jump: New Year in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
