Ski jumping: DSV-Adler start with fourth place in Norway’s victory

The German ski jumpers started into the Olympic winter without the hoped for podium place.

Andreas Wellinger (Ruhpolding), Markus Eisenbichler (Siegsdorf), Richard Freitag (Aue) and Stephan Leyhe (Willingen) had to settle for 990.0 points and fourth place in the team jumping competition in Wisla. The victory went to runner-up Norway (1023.8) ahead of the teams from Poland and Austria (1006.5 each).

“That was messed up from the very beginning,”said German national coach Werner Schuster on ZDF in view of the failed opening jump when Eisenbichler reached into the snow after landing and received clear deductions:”We always missed these ten points, but unfortunately we didn’t catch up. Of course, we had hoped to jump here to win or at least to finish the podium,”said Schuster.

Although the German team worked its way forward from fifth place, after six out of eight jumps it was in third place, but still had to let Austria pass in the fight for the podium.

“It was an exciting team jumping at a high level. One should not allow oneself to make mistakes. But we made two, three. That’s why we’re standing next to the podium,”said Vice World Champion Wellinger.

The most outstanding man in the German team was Friday, who in the second round with 130.5 m equaled with Japan’s old master Noriaki Kasai (45) the farthest set of the whole day. Wellinger was also convincing with flights to 124.0 and 124.5 m, but at the end there were ten meters to the podium.

We continue on Sunday (15 o’ clock in the LIVETICKER) with the first single competition of the winter.