Ski jumping: Despite the hill record – Eisenbichler missed the podium in Lillehammer

Ski jumper Markus Eisenbichler narrowly missed his second podium finish this winter in Lillehammer – despite Simon Ammann breaking the hill record. Karl Geiger and Andreas Wellinger, on the other hand, experienced a day to forget.

Changing winds were also the dominant theme at the third competition of the Raw Air Tour in Lillehammer on Thursday (03/16/2023). Fair conditions for all athletes were not given. Some of them really took off when there was an updraft, while others literally fell down. The competition had to be interrupted again and again.

Eisenbichler like Ammann once: “I live for these jumps”

Markus Eisenbichler was able to get the most out of the adverse circumstances, especially in the second round. In perfect conditions, he sailed 146 meters and equaled Simon Ammann’s hill record at Lysgårdsbakken in 2009.

“That felt good“Eisenbichler smiled in a first reaction on the sports show microphone. “I took advantage of the wind and didn’t think I could manage it so smoothly. I live for these jumps. Then I really freak out!“

Kubacki wins – Granerud stays ahead in the raw air

That shouldn’t be enough for the leap onto the podium – also because Eisenbichler was “only” fifth after the first round (136 meters). Victory went to Poland’s Dawid Kubacki (137.5 and 138.5 meters), who won 7.4 points ahead of Anze Lanisek from Slovenia (139/136). Daniel Tschofenig from Austria (136.5/134), who was still leading at halftime, came third. In the end, Eisenbichler was not even a meter short of third place.

Norway’s Halvor Egner Granerud still has the best chance of winning the overall standings. With 133 and 131.5 meters, the winner of the Four Hills Tournament from Norway finished the competition in fifth place. Before the final ski flying in Vikersund, his lead over Lanisek is already 35.5 points. Stefan Kraft, who was unlucky and only finished eighth, is 38 points behind Granerud.

Geiger “really stinky” after premature end

For Karl Geiger and Andreas Wellinger, however, the competition was disappointing. The two most consistent jumpers in the German team did not make it into the final round.

Geiger threw his hands over his head after his first attempt. The man from Oberstdorf caught a much too late take-off at the take-off table and was unable to gain any height at all. After 114.5 meters (37th place), not only was the chance for the final gone, but also any hope of a good placement in the overall ranking of the tour. Before the competition, he was still promising in sixth place.

“That was a really bad jump. And then the hill is merciless. Once you undercut the trajectory, you get away quickly. That really annoys me. I’m pretty stinky“, Geiger found clear words after the Sportschau microphone.

Wellinger is also disappointed

Andreas Wellinger also experienced a day to forget, who revealed similar problems as Geiger when taking off and with 112.5 meters also had to cope with the premature end in 42nd place. Already in the qualification for the first competition in Lillehammer, the World Championship runner-up literally “crashed” and was eliminated in the qualification. “Lillehammer and I… Somehow I have to find a way for us to be friends next year” Wellinger met his performance with gallows humor. “The approach is so merciless at the limit that you can’t afford to make any mistakes.”

National coach Stefan Horngacher was also served after the disappointing performances of his two best jumpers. “That was not good. Karl completely messed up the jump and was way too late. “Andi didn’t fly at all“.

Raimund and Schmid make up places

Constantin Schmid, Philipp Raimund and Stephan Leyhe made it into the final. With favorable conditions in the second round, Raimund was able to work his way up to 15th place with 129.5 meters. Schmid also got good conditions and improved to 21st place with 124 meters. Leyhe had more bad luck, who touched down after 112 meters and was 28th. “You don’t really know what to expect after the edge“, the 31-year-old explained the pitfalls on Lysgårdsbakken. “It didn’t really feel like an upswing. But the jump was passable.”

Justin Lisso underlined his strong form of the last few days and continued to collect arguments for a place in the German World Cup team. 128 meters meant rank 14 after the first round. “I feel good. It’s really fun“, said the 23-year-old Thuringian. He couldn’t quite confirm his performance in the second round with 123.5 meters. So it went down four places.

Graduated from Vikersund

At the end of the Raw Air series, the ski jumpers travel on to Vikersund. There, on the “Monsterbakken”, the largest ski flying hill in the world, there are two more ski flying competitions on the program on Saturday and Sunday.