Ski jumping – Four Hills Tournament: Sven Hannawald sees underpaid athletes

First there were Pius Paschke’s series victories at the beginning of the season, but most recently Austria’s dominance at the tour dress rehearsal in Engelberg. What do you expect from the 73rd Four Hills Tournament?

I’m expecting perhaps the most exciting tour in history. The top jumpers are completely close to each other. At first Pius Paschke dominated the season, then it became increasingly tight. At the World Cup in Engelberg he seemed to have outdone himself with the results, but there is a reason for his performance: He was injured on an extremely special hill in the run-up to this World Cup and tried with violence to make up for it. That doesn’t work and Pius simply has to delete this additional “want” from the hard drive in his mind. At the start of the tour in Oberstdorf it will look completely different from the German perspective: Now come the jumps that they know and can do.

For you, is Pius Paschke still the big favorite for the first German overall tour victory since your triumph 23 years ago?

I believe in a duel between Pius Paschke and Jan Hörl and generally in a duel between Germany and Austria. Behind them lurks Andreas Wellinger for the Germans and Stefan Kraft for Austria. But I think Pius has the best chance of a German victory: his jump is not as vulnerable in the air because of his smaller height compared to Andi Wellinger.

Interview

imago/Hartenfelser

Sven Hannawald was the last German to win the overall ranking in 2001/2002 and achieved a first by winning all four competitions. Now the 50-year-old accompanies the aviation scene as an expert on ARD. He spoke to Lars Becker about the 73rd edition of the Four Hills Tournament, where the first decision will be made on Saturday in Oberstdorf.

Severin Freund, Karl Geiger or Andreas Wellinger: In recent years, German ski jumpers have often traveled to the Four Hills Tournament as favorites, but it was never enough to achieve a big coup.

The tour is the biggest challenge there is in ski jumping. She stands clearly above everything. At the World Championships or the Olympic Games you have to be top one day and then you can be at the top. The tour lasts ten days. You can’t train for that, you have to deal with new situations every day. You have to see it as an opportunity to be the center of attention and have millions watching you. You have to draw energy from the fact that so many people are cheering you on the hill. You have to absorb these feelings of happiness, the adrenaline and ride the wave. Perhaps the German ski jumpers have sometimes felt this to be more of a pressure in the past.

The Austrians also haven’t won the Four Hills Tournament for ten years and currently have four candidates for the overall wing!

But they won the tour seven times in a row before this long break. Now it’s Germany’s turn again after 23 years, there is no discussion at all. The one up there in heaven has to finally see that too. There simply has to be a German ski jumper who has the necessary looseness and relaxation and can pull it off.

Do you think the prize of 100,000 Swiss francs for winning the tour is appropriate?

I would call that underpaid. Every time there is a jump, several million viewers in Germany alone watch on television. There were more spectators on the screens during my active career, but those were different times. The tour is by far our biggest highlight. The Hahnenkamm races in Kitzbühel are also better paid. I think a million for the overall tour victory might be too much. But I would find 250,000 Swiss francs reasonable. A lot of money is made on the tour through marketing and the audience.