On his home jump Stefan Kraft wants to make forget the failed competitions in Garmisch and Innsbruck on Saturday. On Friday in Bischofshofen, Salzburg, Austria, he showed strong jumps and gained a lot of self-confidence for the Tournee-Finale:”Three such jumps were really good”, explained Kraft, who finished fourth in the qualification with 134 m, immediately before three-time winner Kamil Stoch.
Kraft said that the Ausserleitner-Schanze with its long and rather flat approach was the perfect match for him in his current situation:”I’ve always looked around in a squat, here it can take a calmer approach. That felt good,”said the former tour winner, who had also resorted to his previous skis.
Although he had outdone the competition by at least five metres in the second training jump with 139.5 metres, the 24-year-old didn’t want to announce a top ranking for the Epiphany “I’m trying to make three cool jumps, maybe it will happen now,”explained Kraft.
Like many other jumpers, Kraft also believes in the Grand Slam of Kamil Stoch, who as the second athlete after Sven Hannawalds could win all four competitions of a competition:”He has such a run, even with a small mistake he still flies a long way”.
Last year’s winner Stoch from Bischofshofen, his fellow countryman Dawid Kubacki, could also screw up the coup. He won the qualification with 136 meters ahead of the Norwegian Johann Andre Forfang (135).
Ten out of twelve Austrians entered the competition. Daniel Huber (19th) did best after power. Michael Hayböck, the 2015 winner and the previous day’s tenth in Innsbruck, relied on an increase in comparison to the 24th qualifying round:”I was too well on the road and nothing has gone further in the air,”said last year’s runner-up.
Gregor Schlierenzauer will continue to have to bake smaller rolls after the “black Thursday”:”You have to accept such challenges and you will be stronger,”emphasized the two-time winner of the Bi’ hofen competition after the first round in Innsbruck. I have nothing to lose and use every jump as a training for the way back,”said the Tyrolean.