Vikersund (dpa) – Andreas Wellinger was upset with himself after missing out on a podium opportunity, with the 27-year-old telling ARD: “I’m upset with myself for the second jump because I can do it better.”
An impressive jump of 233.5 meters brought Wellinger third place in the first round of the Vikersund Flying Festival. Because the Bavarian only added 193.5 metres, he ended up as the twelfth best German.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t succeed at all today,” said national team coach Stefan Horngacher. “It’s such a pity that Andy did his worst on the last jump.”
Granerud celebrates the victory at home
Local Norwegian champion Halvor Egner Granerud took victory in front of Austrian stars Stefan Kraft and Daniel Chovenig. While German ski jumpers are only selectively showing off their skills this winter, Granerud shines with impressive consistency. The 26-year-old continued to extend his lead in the World Cup overall and in the Aerial Tour win. Neither Wellinger nor his colleagues play a role in either classification.
Horngacher’s second-best Markus Eisenbichler finished 15th. The 31-year-old flew 209.5m and 216m. He commented, “It’s okay.” Eisenbichler’s teammate, Karl Geiger, finished 21st. “I still miss the last kick,” said the man from Oberstdorf after jumping to 200.5 meters in the first round. After his second attempt at 192 metres, he waved it with both hands in frustration.
“It’s not that bad for Karl,” Horngacher said. “On such a big hill, small mistakes have a very big impact.” The coach sees good chances that Geiger will be able to improve quickly again. Justine Liseau and Konstantin Schmid were eliminated after the first round.
The day before the premiere of the figure skating competition, the guys celebrated a successful morning rehearsal. In official training, the big hills champion of Canada, Alexandria Lottet, broke the first record. The 19-year-old flew 222 metres. The three German athletes Katharina Althaus, Selina Freytag and Anna Rupprecht are yet to break through the magical 200 metres. Althaus gave this brand a target for Sunday (10am/ARD and Eurosport). The triple world champion’s longest ride ended Saturday after 190 metres.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 230318-99-04706/3
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