Karl Geiger fails bitterly in the Four Hills Tournament qualification!

Karl Geiger fails bitterly in the Four Hills Tournament qualification!

How is Karl Geiger? Unfortunately you have to say: not good. The former top jumper suffered a bitter setback today and was defeated in the qualification for the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf. Geiger, who wanted to report back after a break, ended up in 53rd place and is therefore not allowed to take part in the first competition of the traditional tour. His disappointing jump of just 106.5 meters was a real “foul” for him – or as he himself described it, a “sentence with an X”. For Geiger, who has completed over 80 training jumps, the season feels like a low point, especially in a year when the Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo loom. These will take place in February 2026 and Geiger has not yet achieved the qualification standard. He was honest about the current challenges and his pressure during the jumps: "It's pretty bitter" and he believes he needs to work on his flight system to get back to the top of the world. Schwarzwälder Bote reports that his teammates like Andreas Wellinger and Pius Paschke are also struggling with the new suits.

But not everything is lost! A ray of hope comes from Luca Roth, who was able to successfully qualify for jumping despite difficult wind conditions and emphasized that ski jumping works the same under different conditions. Philipp Raimund was also able to shine with a solid performance and was in the leader box before Domen Prevc's jump. He proved his dominance with a jump of 139.5 meters and secured the qualification victory. Felix Hoffmann achieved the best performance in the first training jump, but was visibly impressed by the scenery. Constantin Schmid, who ranks 44th, has to compete against the Japanese star Ryoyu Kobayashi, finds himself in a particularly challenging situation.

A look at the Four Hills Tournament

The Four Hills Tournament has a long tradition and is an integral part of winter sports. The Epiphany jumping in Bischofshofen represents the crowning conclusion of this prestigious tour. This ski jump, named after Paul Ausserleitner, is a place with an eventful history. The local hero died here in a tragic fall in 1952 and the ski jump was renamed in his honor. It is interesting that the Hochkönigschanze is located behind a cemetery, less prominently than in Innsbruck. Sepp Bradl, the first ski jumper to break 100 meters and also win the first edition of the Four Hills Tournament in 1953, remains a legend among fans. Bischofshofen is not only the location of the golden eagle for the winner, but also attracts Austrian and Slovenian spectators in droves. The Karawanken Tunnel, only 150 kilometers away, further increases the anticipation for the event! Olympics informs that the athletes face special challenges at the end of the tour, as the long, flat inrun with little radius pressure makes it difficult to hit the edge of the jump table.

In summary, it can be said that the Four Hills Tournament is running at its fullest. While some athletes shine, others struggle. Can Karl Geiger find his way back to success? We're keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for exciting jumps in the next few days!