Waiting is pointless

Spoilsport wind! Vikersund ski flying canceled

Stefan Kraft and Co. have waited in vain - the wind has prevented ski flying on Saturday!

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

All in vain: The ski flying hill in Vikersund was only the scene of a long wait on Saturday due to bad weather! After the premiere of the women's ski flying World Cup, which had been planned for the morning, the men's competition also had to be canceled in the afternoon. 

However, Stefan Kraft is not yet the overall World Cup winner, as Saturday's competition will be repeated on Sunday (11.05 am) with only one flight, when the weather is expected to be much better. The second men's World Cup competition will take place as planned as a "super final" in three rounds (top 30, then top 20, then top 10) in accordance with the new "Raw Air" regulations. "The wind conditions were still extremely unstable, the last information was 13 meters per second and that is extremely too much," said race director Sandro Pertile in the ORF TV interview.

"It would also have been dangerous!"
ÖSV men's head coach Andreas Widhölzl also saw it that way. "Basically it was the right decision, it was very turbulent and very changeable. It would also have been dangerous. We are glad that we now have two competitions tomorrow. The weather forecast for tomorrow is good," said the Tyrolean. What's more, the athletes are already tired at the end of the season. "You don't have to force anything anymore."

"I didn't waste much energy today!"
"I did everything right today, I didn't waste much energy today," said World Cup leader Kraft, who hadn't expected to compete. "If it's perfect tomorrow, it will certainly be better. Four times tomorrow - we had that at Kulm too, we can take it. It would be nice if I could fix it tomorrow," said Kraft, referring to the almost decided battle for the big crystal globe.

The jury had already waited a little longer in the women's race in the morning, but then gave up. World Cup defending champion Eva Pinkelnig supported the decision to cancel. "It's totally windy conditions. They are starting to tie things up here in the outrun." She would have nothing against two competitions on Sunday. "Of course we would all like that. Everyone is in favor of us even having two World Cups."

This wish did not come true, so the women's program will remain as it was originally scheduled on Sunday with one competition at 10 am. The men will start at 11.05 am (one run), followed by their second competition at 3.30 pm (three runs).