Ski jumping: Schlierenzauer is struggling with the new technology

Following the cancellation of the World Cup weekend in Titisee-Neustadt (GER), the ÖSV management has drawn up a replacement plan for the ski jumpers. Head coach Andreas Felder will travel with a quintet to Lillehammer for training on Sunday and will then fly directly to the tour dress rehearsal in Engelberg on Thursday. Gregor Schlierenzauer takes a World Cup break until at least Oberstdorf.

Because of rain and warmth the World Cup with the women had fallen into the water in Germany. Felder is now travelling to the far north with Stefan Kraft, Manuel Fettner, Clemens Aigner, Philipp Aschenwald and Daniel Huber. “It is a pity that the competitions in Titisee-Neustadt cannot take place, but nothing can be done about it. Nevertheless, the chance of additional training sessions is not inconvenient for us”, Felder saw positive things in the developments.

Michael Hayböck, who has been coordinating his equipment with co-trainer Florian Schabereiter in individual training in Lillehammer since last Sunday, will return home on Thursday, but will fly back to the team in Lillehammer next week.

As already announced on Tuesday, World Cup record winner Gregor Schlierenzauer will take a longer break. And at least until the start of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, was specified on Wednesday. In individual training sessions with co-trainer Florian Liegl, the 28-year-old Tyrolean wants to rediscover the automatic nature of the processes. “Together with the coaching team, I decided not to jump in the upcoming World Cups. The last competitions have shown that my technique, despite intensive and good preparation, cannot yet be called up automatically”, Schlierenzauer said in an ÖSV broadcast.

He hopes that the intensive training in the coming weeks will strengthen his confidence in these processes so that he can deliver top results again. “I need more than the training and qualification jumps during a World Cup stop to apply this new technique to the top. It will be challenging because there are some points I will work on. I accept that challenge.” Fields supports time-out and structural individual training with Liegl. “It’s also a matter of the mind, and for that he needs the necessary rest away from the World Cup.”