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PLANICA. The ski jumping season is not over yet and the first highlight awaits you with the World Ski Flight Championship in Planica. Today’s and Saturday’s individual competition (4pm, live on ORF Eins) will take place without Stefan Kraft. The world record holder, who has recovered from his Covid 19 disease, had to withdraw from his training at Planica due to severe back pain. His roommate Michael Hayböck stood out in the rankings. With a personal record (242.5m), Theninger came second behind German Markus Eisenbichler (225.5m). In addition to Hayböck, Philipp Aschenwald (15 / 217.5m), Gregor Schlierenzauer (28/206) and World Cup rookie Timon Kahofer (33/198) were in the top 40 of the only 44 competitors.
It wasn’t until Wednesday that Kraft got the green light after its Covid 19 disease. But then the next disappointment yesterday. On his return to the hill in the first training jump, the Salzburg resident was shown with a set of 239 meters. “Right after, the iliopsoas (part of the internal hip muscles, note) closed up,” said sports director Mario Stecher. “That’s why you can’t bend over right now, unfortunately it’s not possible to ski.”
Coach Andreas Widhölzl has already refrained from receiving medals as a goal. “Our approach is more like ‘anything is possible’, but the favorites are definitely different,” explained Widhölzl.
Even if all goes well at the World Cup, the Austrian team is now being viewed critically by the competition. Most of the other major nations still don’t have a single crown case. Widhölzl and eight athletes had already tested positive at ÖSV camp.
“From bed to jump”
Including Schlierenzauer. The World Cup record winner in ski flying (14 wins) recovered from his illness, but got to the heart of the problem: “Now it’s pretty much from the bed straight into one of the biggest ski jumps in the world. world”.
For the seventh time, the Slovenian city near the Austrian border is hosting the World Cup. Austria’s successes there can be expanded. After gold for Armin Kogler in 1979, Schlierenzauer won silver in 2010 behind Simon Ammann (Sz).
