Eagle without skis

Wind! Weather chaos looms on the monster hill

Lillehammer winner Jan Hörl and Co. were unable to train in Finland on Thursday without skis.(Bild: APA/Geir Olsen/NTB)

For Austria's ski jumpers, the World Cup weekend in Ruka, Finland, begins with an unintentional oopsala. The ski luggage was lost on the journey. Perhaps Stefan Kraft and Co. will stay on the ground in general - the weather forecasters are reporting bad weather with lots of wind.

Wind and cold have often disrupted the World Cup program in Ruka, Finland. According to the forecasts, combined skiers and ski jumpers are once again threatened by weather chaos on the monster hill in the Arctic Circle.

Combined skiers' boss Lasse Ottesen therefore played it safe. Two PCR runs were carried out in training on Thursday, which would have secured two World Cup races.

Ski jumping king Franz-Josef Rehrl is probably secretly hoping for windy conditions on the monster hill. The Styrian would have a great starting position twice with first and second place if the race is canceled.

Lost ski luggage
Austria's ski jumpers stayed on the ground on Thursday for a completely different reason. The ski luggage was lost on the journey

Of course, it was doubly bitter that opening winner Jan Hörl, Stefan Kraft and Co. did not do any more training jumps after the World Cup weekend in Lillehammer. "It was raining. The hill was closed on Monday and Tuesday," sighed Austria's head coach Andi Widhölzl.

But we put that behind us. We simply focused more on physical training.

Springer-Cheftrainer Andi Widhölzl

After the successful start to the season, the skiing mishap shouldn't be a problem for the home skiers. "But we'll put that behind us. We simply focused more on physical training," said Widhölzl.

Widhölzl is also relaxed about the feared weather chaos: "We'll take it as it comes. I've already been here for five days without a jump in the hotel."