Werner Schuster has nominated his strongest line-up for the Olympic dress rehearsal this weekend in Willingen. The five Pyeongchang starters Richard Freitag, Andreas Wellinger, Markus Eisenbichler, Stephan Leyhe and Karl Geiger will leave the Bakken on the Mühlenkopf ski jump.
The weekend is enhanced by the “Willingen Five”, which is endowed with an additional 25,000 euros in prize money. The FIS World Ski Federation had introduced this new competition format. In addition to the competition jumps in the two individual competitions on Saturday and Sunday, Friday’s qualifying jump will also be included in this overall standings.
Ski jumpers from 14 nations will be present at the largest ski jump in the world in Northern Hesse. Only Japan and Austria will compete without their Olympic competitors.
ÖSV-Cheftrainer Heinz Kuttin has instead set up a training camp in Planica in order to get his last rather “wing lame” Adler back on track. A total of 50,000 spectators are expected in Willingen on the three competition days.