The 70th Four Hills Tournament is coming up. Fans of the ski jumping highlight can look forward to an exciting competition. Will you succeed in bringing victory to Germany? t-online names the favorites.
The last German victory in one Four Hills Tournament is already 20 years ago. At that time succeeded Sven Hannawald the great triumph in the 2001/2002 season. Since then, the German ski jumpers have been waiting to be able to raise the golden eagle trophy of the overall winner after the last competition in Bischofshofen.
Last season it was Karl Geiger Second behind that Poland Kamil Stoch. In third place, Dawid Kubacki also landed a Pole. As then, no spectators are allowed this winter due to the corona.
But: This year, too, the winter sports highlight promises a lot of excitement. Especially since the German fans have a lot of hope, since Geiger is currently the World Cup leader and is automatically one of the hottest contenders for victory. But which jumpers are also favorites to win? t-online names the possible title contenders and gives you an assessment.
Karl Geiger
He is in absolute top form and is currently wearing the yellow jersey for the leader of the overall World Cup standings. The 28-year-old, who finished second on the tour in the 2020/21 season and third in the 2019/20 season, has already shone several times this winter. He was on the podium five times in nine competitions. In Nizhny Tagil and finally in Engelberg he flew away from the competition and won. Should he also take the Bergisel ski jump, feared by the German team, into innsbruck master, the German is more than likely to win.
Chances of victory: 80 percent
Karl Geiger: The German ski jumper has the yellow jersey for the leader of the overall World Cup standings. (Source: Sven Simon / imago images)
Ryoyu Kobayashi
The Japanese recently won the second individual competition in Engelberg. He prevailed on the Titlisschanze against Geiger, who triumphed there the day before. In the overall standings too, Kobayashi is currently the German’s biggest competitor, with 496 points and 98 points behind in second place. And he knows how winning the Four Hills Tournament works: In 2019 Kobayashi won – as the third jumper after Sven Hannawald and Kamil Stoch – at all four stations. The Japanese in top form is a serious title favorite.
Chances of victory: 85 percent
Ryoyu Kobayashi: The Japanese is Karl Geiger’s strongest competitor. (Source: Geisser / imago images)
Halvor Egner Granerud
The Norwegian can shock everyone with his width if it goes smoothly. However, the winter so far has not gone optimally for the overall World Cup winner last season. In the individual competition in Wisla, he failed in the first round. In the overall standings he is behind Kobayashi. If Granerud manages to bring constancy in his jumps, you can count on him as well as on his compatriot Marius Lindvik.
Chances of victory: 50 percent
Halvor Egner Granerud: The Norwegian won the overall World Cup last season. (Source: Newspix / imago images)
Anže Lanišek
The Slovenian was able to record a World Cup victory this winter: in Ruka from the large hill. For Lanišek the first World Cup success of his career. Even though he was not on the podium recently, he was fourth four times in a row (twice Klingenthal, twice Engelberg) and thus consistently collected points for the overall standings, in which he ranks behind Granerud.
Chances of victory: 30 percent
Anže Lanišek: In Finland he won his first World Cup this winter. (Source: Geisser / imago images)
Kamil Stoch
Poland’s top star has been weakening a bit in the past time and has repeatedly had problems. But you shouldn’t write off the overall winner of 2017/18, who won all four hills for the first time after Hannawald. Stoch also triumphed last winter, becoming the tour winner ahead of Geiger.
Chances of victory: 35 percent
Kamil Stoch: The Pole won the last Four Hills Tournament. (Source: Newspix / imago images)
Stefan Kraft
In the overall World Cup ranking, the Austrian is in fifth place. In Klingenthal, the world champion won a World Cup from the large hill at the beginning of December. And Kraft can already call himself a tour winner. The Austrian athlete triumphed in the 2014/15 season. In an interview with the “Wiener Zeitung”, Kraft said that he saw himself as an “outsider favorite”.
Chances of victory: 30 percent
Stefan Kraft: He was crowned double world champion on the normal and large hill in Lahti in 2017. (Source: GEPA Pictures / imago images)
Markus Eisenbichler
Karl Geiger’s German team-mate got off to a good start into the season, but has been weakening again and again recently. For example, the ski jumping world champion retired in Klingenthal with only 115 meters in the first round. However, one shouldn’t write off “Eisei”. Due to the strong competition in his own team, he could be pushed again.
Chances of victory: 25 percent
Markus Eisenbichler: Karl Geiger’s team-mate had problems recently. (Source: Sven Simon / imago images)
Killian Peier
The Swiss could hardly have returned any stronger after his knee injury, a cruciate ligament tear. In eight competitions so far this season, Peier landed in the top ten. He made a comeback and can also do a lot on the tour. It remains to be seen whether it will be enough for the top.
Chances of victory: 20 percent
Kilian Peier: The Swiss won the bronze medal on the large hill at the Nordic World Ski Championships in 2019. (Source: Eibner / imago images)
For this season, the prize money was increased fivefold, from 20,000 Swiss francs to 100,000 (approx. 96,000 euros). National coach Stefan Horngacher thinks this step is overdue.
“You finally understood what the guys are doing for this. It was the same before in other sports. You can discuss whether that’s enough, if you look at the focus and pressure behind it,” said the 52-year-old Trainer at a digital media group.