Who is going to win the Four Hills Tournament this year?

Who is going to win the Four Hills Tournament this year?

28/12/2013 16:11

If you are interested in ski jumping, you certainly know that tomorrow starts the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf. The Tour continues in Garmisch – Partenkirchen, and then comes the Austrian part. In the last few years, we felt who is the favorite of the FHT, but this year we can’t be sure about anything.

This season makes us surprised all the time. The first victory of this season belongs to Krzysztof Biegun from Poland, but he isn’t just a man of only one competition – he won the gold medal in the Universide and he prepares himself for the Four Hills Tour and the Polish tour (Wisla and Zakopane). The Polish team doesn’t have only Biegun, the shape of Kamil Stoch and Jan Ziobro is pretty big!

Polish team has many rivals – the Austrian legend Gregor Schlierenzauer, Swiss number one Simon Ammann, Taku Takeuchi has the biggest shape of his life, Thomas Morgenstern comes back after his fall, or Anders Bardal. Anders is the only Norwegian who has a chance to win in the Four Hills Tour, and it’s interesting, because we were used to see more Norwegians in TOP 10.

The first competition takes part tomorrow in Oberstdorf on the Schattenbergschanze. Hill size is 137, K-point is located on 120 meters. Record still holds Sigurd Pettersen – he jumped 143,5 meters in 2003. The last champion of this hill was Anders Jacobsen – he beated Gregor Schlierenzauer and Severin Freund. Anders Jacobsen unfortunately is not in good shape, but it would be a surprise, if he would end in TOP 10.

Ski jumpers don’t have much time to celebrate the New Year’s Eve, because on the January 1st the GaPa competition takes part on the Olympiaschanze (HS 140, K-point 125m). Record holder of this hill is Simon Ammann (143,5m in 2010), so he has a chance to jump even more this season, because he is in shape.

The last two stops of the Four Hills Tour take part in Austria – the first one in Innsbruck and the second one in Bischofshofen. Every time in last 5 years Austrian ski jumping fans celebrated victories of their jumpers on Berg Isel (HS 130, K-point 120m)– Wolfgang Loitzl won in 2009, “Schlieri” in 2010 and 2013, “Morgi” in 2011 and “Andi” Kofler in 2012. Will Austria continue in this victory round on Berg Isel?

Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze in Bischofshofen (HS 140, K-point 125m) is the last stop of the Tour. The competition will take place on January 6th. Record holder is Daiki Ito, but the eyes of Japan fans will look to Taku Takeuchi because of his shape this year.

Every ski jumper dreams about taking part on the Four Hills Tournament. It’s certain that we are going to be surprised – no one knows, who is going to win, because too many jumpers are in shape. Brace yourself, FHT starts tomorrow!

• by Jiri Jindra (@jirkajindra11)