Ski Jumping: Ski Flying World Championships: Strong wind forced qualifying cancellation

The ski-flying world championship in Oberstdorf has begun with a rejection because of too strong wind. The qualification on Thursday fell victim to the runners of a storm low, it is now to take place on Friday (14.30 o’ clock) before the first two singles rounds.

In the only training Stefan Kraft (204.5 m) was the best ÖSV-man in eleventh place. Daniel Andre Tande, the Norwegian co-favorite Daniel Andre Tande, with 223.5 meters, showed the superior performance. The touring dominator Kamil Stoch, who was still weakening at the Kulm, won second place with 214.5. Slovenia’s Anze Semenic (211.5) finished third. The second training session and the subsequent qualification had to be cancelled after two postponements.

FIS race director Walter Hofer was happy that a training session could take place at all “We achieved more than we thought with a training session. We have an extremely stormy weather situation, now the wind is breaking more and more to the ground. We don’t see any chance of flying today,”said Hofer after a day of snowfall, rain and gusty wind. On the weekend, however, the weather is expected to improve. If the qualifiers should be cancelled on Friday, all 48 participants would come to the main competition.

World record holder Kraft, last year’s World Cup double winner at the World Cup venue, was not entirely satisfied with his training jump:”I had to fight with the radius pressure, but the jump and the run-out are in a perfect condition. I hope that the wind will calm down in the next few days,”said the Salzburg resident.

The World Cup third of 2016 has survived a slight chill and wants to sail back to precious metal regardless of the circumstances:”Of course, you’re going to a World Cup to win medals, that’s also my goal. But it’s not a request concert, the Norwegians are extremely strong, the Germans and Slovenes will fly well,”said the ninth-placed rider at the Kulm. In any case, he was ready for the fight with 10 to 15 other medal candidates,”I did a good job this week. I’m perfectly prepared, the rest has to happen.”

In addition to Kraft, Michael Hayböck, Clemens Aigner and Manuel Poppinger will also be competing at the Heini-Klopfer-Schanze for Austria. Florian Altenburger has to watch after bad training. The shapely Gregor Schlierenzauer and Manuel Fettner had not been nominated.