German Ski Jumping Coach Horngacher Stays Resilient Amidst Eleven Consecutive Podium Absences

In the world of ski jumping, the DSV team is currently facing a challenging period, marked by a lack of podium finishes and disappointing performances at the recent World Cup in Willingen. Despite the struggles, coach Stefan Horngacher’s position remains secure, with DSV sports director Horst Hüttel expressing confidence in the team’s potential for improvement. As they prepare for upcoming competitions, including the World Championships, the focus is on addressing both performance issues and potential equipment concerns.

In professional football, a lack of wins or points typically spells disaster for coaches. However, the world of ski jumping operates quite differently. Despite the DSV eagles encountering some unfortunate crashes, the coach’s position appears to remain stable.

The recent World Cup event in Willingen last weekend marked a challenging moment for the DSV ski jumpers. In front of their home crowd, the DSV men struggled to achieve a top-ten finish, with American competitor Tate Frantz outperforming the best German jumper on Sunday (February 2, 2025).

A National Coach in Disbelief

In the history of World Cup jumping at Willingen’s Mühlenkopfschanze over the past 30 years, the DSV jumpers have only faced worse performance on three occasions. Aside from a mixed team podium finish last Friday, the DSV eagles are enduring their most extended podium drought in nearly 15 years. After a promising start with five victories from Pius Paschke, their performance has significantly declined, with no DSV jumper reaching the podium for eleven consecutive events.

Coach Stefan Horngacher found himself perplexed once more over the weekend. When questioned about how his team could navigate out of this slump, he offered a simple response: ‘That’s a good question’. The Austrian coach, who holds an indefinite contract with the DSV, isn’t facing immediate job insecurity despite the team’s struggles.

DSV sports director Horst Hüttel shared his thoughts during an interview, stating ‘As long as I feel that he and the athletes are in the same boat, there is still a chance that something will move in the right direction’. He emphasized that ‘the coaching team still reaches the team 100 percent. The plan is very clear, to also compete in the Olympic Games with him’.

A coaching change at this juncture would be ‘too easy right now’, according to Hüttel. He noted, ‘There would be a chance in a change, but also a huge risk. That’s why it’s not a topic for us at the moment.’

DSV sports director Horst Hüttel: ‘Coaching team reaches the team’

Horngacher’s Experience in Crisis Management

Stefan Horngacher, 55, has been at the helm since 2019, taking over from fellow Austrian Werner Schuster. His extensive experience is crucial during this challenging period. Once a successful ski jumper himself, Horngacher has navigated various crises, facing scrutiny in 2023 after his team managed only ten podium finishes in 32 competitions. Yet, he bounced back, securing two medals in ski flying the following year, with Andreas Wellinger achieving second place at the Four Hills Tournament and three jumpers scoring World Cup victories.

While the history of German ski jumpers includes notable successes, they have also faced difficult periods. Last season witnessed a significant decline after a solid start, but under Horngacher, this prolonged drought is unprecedented. ‘We were really bad and are very disappointed with the development of the last days and weeks. At the moment, a lot is against us, the trend, the current form’, Hüttel candidly remarked in a Sportschau interview.

Equipment Concerns or Just Lack of Confidence?

While the team grapples with diminished self-confidence and lost momentum, equipment issues may also contribute to the DSV eagles’ struggles. Early in the season, the Slovenians faced challenges with new suit regulations, and the Norwegians also encountered difficulties but eventually found success. Sportschau expert Sven Hannawald expressed frustration, stating: ‘In my opinion, the German team needs to change the jumps with the suits again to keep up front.’

Questions linger regarding the FIS’s material control enforcement. In Oberstdorf, two Slovenian jumpers, Anze Lanisek and Lovro Kos, faced disqualifications, while Timi Zajc still managed to win. A week later, Zajc was disqualified during the mixed team event in Willingen due to excessive jump length in the first round. ‘If two are disqualified and one wins, then that’s a bit strange’, Horngacher commented.

DSV Leadership Reflects on Strategy

Hüttel doesn’t believe that the downturn can be attributed solely to equipment issues. ‘The material has played a rather subordinate role for us. We are keeping an eye on it, but we have rather tried to look in the mirror and solve the issue through technical and jumping aspects.’

With the World Championships approaching from February 26 to March 9 in Trondheim, Horngacher and his coaching staff must make swift adjustments. Veteran jumper Paschke will take a break, opting out of the upcoming World Cup stop in Lake Placid.

After finishing 27th and 31st, Paschke admitted, ‘That was a very disappointing weekend. For me, that was more of a step backward – that’s why we decided that I wouldn’t fly to Lake Placid. I will calmly train one or two sessions, and then I look forward to Japan.’ The World Championship rehearsal is scheduled for February 15/16 in Sapporo.

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