Ski jumping

“Time to win the Tournée again!”

Stefan Kraft puts the finishing touches to his performance on the Bergisel.

(Bild: Birbaumer Christof)

Super eagle Stefan Kraft is battling an autumn slump ahead of the season opener. The man from Schwarzach wants to be one of the best again. A ski jumping classic is the big ÖSV goal.

"The jumps are going solala," admitted Stefan Kraft on Thursday at the ÖSV media event at the Bergisel in Innsbruck. Austria's high-flyer may have already won everything in his career, but after a great summer he is currently struggling on the hill: "My autumn slump has struck again. The last month was already difficult because nothing worked anymore."

But there is no need to worry about the man from Schwarzach. Things went better for the 31-year-old in cold temperatures during the last training session before his departure for the World Cup opener: "In our sport, things can often happen very quickly. So far it's been more like summer jumping."

Physically, Kraft feels well prepared a week before the start: "The strength values are 1A, better than last year. I also have my back problems well under control. I've been able to train really hard."

As defending World Cup title holder and Ski Flying World Champion, the amateur kicker will be the big hunted: "My goal is to be one of the best again. I want to sit at the top of the beam and know that I can win with two jumps."

With the tour, World Cup and World Championships, the winter is full of highlights. "It's not a concert of wishes. It's time we won the tour again," head coach Andi Widhölzl reveals his dream goal.

Kraft, who was the last Austrian to win the ski jumping classic in 2015, nods: "After ten years, it would be a great fit. We will do everything we can to have a chance of winning the tour."