Andreas Wellinger: With consistency to the tour crown and World Cup gold

Andreas Wellinger has reported back impressively. The 29-year-old was on the podium twice last season, coming third in the overall World Cup and second in the overall ranking of the Four Hills Tournament. An impressive comeback after his cruciate ligament tear in 2019. He had already found his rhythm again in the winter and reached a World Cup podium for the first time.

Wellinger’s hunt for the perfect flow in the World Cup

“For me, the goal is to raise the basic level so high that I am then ready to be at the top,” Wellinger explains his ambitions in the BR24Sport interview. The challenge: consistently deliver top performance in a four-month-long season full of highlights. “I’m really motivated and I’m really happy that we can finally compete again. We have trained a lot and intensively for this and it is time we can do what we love again.”

From the tour to the World Cup – the season highlights

The Four Hills Tournament offers the first big chance to make amends after narrowly missing out on victory last year. The home World Cups in Oberstdorf and Willingen follow, before the World Cup in Trondheim at the end of February. The season ends with the Raw Air Trophy and ski flying in Planica.

The focus this year is once again that the preparation went well. The starting position is also equally good. Wellinger has also been able to improve the quality of his jumps over the past few weeks. And well, as a fine flyer and good lander, he now also benefits from the fact that the points system is being adjusted. Other jumpers like Karl Geiger or Markus Eisenbichler take a more critical view.

The challenge: constant top performance in ski jumping

But one thing remains the same as it always was: “Ski jumping is so complex and such a razor’s edge ride that the smallest changes, whether it’s the way your body feels, whether it’s the conditions, decide whether you win or come fifth,” describes Wellinger the specificity of his sport.

National coach Stefan Horngacher added: “It’s about staying at 85 or 90 percent of your performance overall when you take the season. Then you have a great chance of accomplishing great deeds.”

The German team: Seven starting places and new opportunities

In addition to Wellinger, six other DSV Adler fought for World Cup points. Markus Eisenbichler will make his comeback from Friday after contributing to the additional starting place in the Continental Cup. 20-year-old Adrian Tittel also secured an extra starting place with his medal at the Junior World Championships and, according to Horngacher, will have the chance to prove himself in the World Cup.