Ski jumping: Four Hills Tournament: Final of the Four Hills Tournament: Jumpers against flyers

Before the closest final of the Four Hills Tournament in seven years, leaders Ryoyu Kobayashi and Andreas Wellinger are separated by just 4.8 points – that’s almost 2.67 meters. “That’s nothing,” says Wellinger. However, the statistics speak a different language before the duel in Bischofshofen this Saturday at 4:30 p.m. The last time a deficit of more than four points was made up was 30 years ago in the last jumper of a tour, when the Norwegian Espen Bredesen – with unfair and now no longer legal help from his compatriot Lasse Ottesen – overtook the German leader Jens Weißflog. Andreas Wellinger still believes in Germany’s first overall victory in 22 years. What are his chances? The direct comparison of the two leaders:

Starting position/statistics

Ryoyu Kobayashi goes into the tour finale with a psychologically important advantage: the lead, even if it is narrow. He has also won the ski jumping Grand Slam twice ahead of German jumpers in 2019 ahead of Markus Eisenbichler and in 2022 ahead of Karl Geiger. Wellinger’s best overall tour placement was second place in 2018. At his “home hill” in Bischofshofen – Wellinger often travels from Berchtesgaden to Austria for training – the German was already third once (2018). Kobayashi already won here in 2019. Advantage for the Japanese: 1-0 for Kobayashi.

The approach speed

Ryoyu Kobayashi jumps on BWT skis. The color takes some getting used to – just like the coat the Japanese wears after the competitions. BWT produces the jump skis in collaboration with the Austrian brand Fischer, which was noticed by speed problems on the approach to the Four Hills Tournament. Andreas Wellinger was usually significantly faster than his Japanese rival in this important area with his Van Deer slats – the company of alpine legend Marcel Hirscher -: In Wellinger’s opening victory in Oberstdorf, it was a total of 1.9 kilometers per hour in two jumps. That’s almost ten meters in flight with the same jumping performance – and the final hill in Bischofshofen has an extremely long run-up. Clear advantage for Wellinger: 1:1.

The jump

German ski jumpers traditionally rely on a powerful jump in their flying style. A component that has become even more important due to the rule changes before this season with tighter suits. Wellinger even improved again before this season and now jumps about 60 centimeters high from a standing position. That’s why he always floats very high in the air after hitting the take-off table perfectly. Kobayashi, on the other hand, has a flatter flight curve – he focuses more on getting into a perfect flight position as quickly as possible and takes more speed on the steep slope. Both approaches work – but in the jump the point goes to Wellinger. 2:1 for the German.

The flight

As an “intuitive ski jumper,” Andreas Wellinger has a real talent for flying. But Ryoyu Kobayashi also tops every other ski jumper in the world in flight with his lightning-fast take-off transition and his extraordinary feeling. “Technically and in terms of flying, Ryoyu is ahead of everyone,” says the last German overall tour winner, Sven Hannawald. Clear advantage for Kobayashi: 2:2.

The strength of nerves

Both eagles have already shown that they can win major events: Wellinger has already been mixed world champion twice and is a double Olympic champion. Kobayashi “only” has one Olympic gold medal and no World Cup title to his name, but he does have two tour and overall World Cup victories to his name. Both are family men who come from large sporting families. Rather open and relaxed types who inspire their fans on Instagram, for example (Wellinger 156,000 followers, Kobayashi 133,000). Wellinger loves good food and indulgence, surfing and traveling. The self-proclaimed “neo-Japanese” Kobayashi has fast cars, shoes and risky activities like bungee jumping. Draw in this area: 3:3.

Support

Wellinger’s father, sister and brother-in-law were already at the ski jump during the tournament jumping in Innsbruck, and a whole delegation of family and friends will arrive at the final in Bischofshofen, plus of course the thousands of German supporters. The German hopeful has a perfect team at his side, from national coach Stefan Horngacher to equipment guru Erik Simon. Kobayashi has even put together his personal “Team ROY”, with his successful Finnish coach Janne Väätäinen at the helm. This is extremely unusual in Japan, where ski jumpers are traditionally employed by large corporate teams. He also always has his big brother Junshiro, who plays in midfield, at his side. Fans, on the other hand, will probably not support Kobayashi at the tour finale – but he also has a lot less pressure than Wellinger, on whom the expectations of the whole of ski jumping Germany rest after 22 years without an overall victory. Wellinger’s answer to the question of why Kobayashi flies so well: “Maybe because he has to talk less than me.” Overall draw: 4:4.

The will

Ryoyu Kobayashi’s career almost always went straight up, with a few small setbacks. Wellinger, on the other hand, went through very difficult times after his early rise to team Olympic champion at the age of 18: a horror fall in 2014, the cruciate ligament tear in 2019, a year after his individual gold in Pyeongchang and other injuries such as a broken collarbone while surfing. However, Wellinger always came back: “I kept coming up with a few things. But complaining doesn’t help – just fighting for my great passion, ski jumping.” This also applies to the tour finale. A small but perhaps decisive advantage for Andreas Wellinger. Final score: 5:4.

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