Interview with Hannawald

“Could give the Germans priority for once”

Ski jumping idol Sven Hannawald spoke to the "Krone" about the Four Hills Tournament, the dangers of burnout and his former rival Noriaki Kasai.

(Bild: GEPA)

In 2001/2002, Sven Hannawald was the first ski jumper to win all four stages of the Four Hills Tournament in one edition. Since then, the Germans have been waiting for another success. With Pius Paschke, the chances now seem great. But several ÖSV eagles are also ready. Ski jumping legend Hannawald spoke to "Sportkrone.at" about the duel between the two nations, his burnout illness and "ski jumping dinosaur" Noriaki Kasai. 

"Kronesport": You were the first person to win all four competitions of the Four Hills Tournament in one edition. How did that make you feel back then?
 SvenHannawald: You can't really put your finger on it. I know that it was like that and that you made it, although I still wonder about it to this day. It was definitely a close decision in the end. When I see the virtual green line today as an expert and spectator, I still wonder how I was able to assess it at the time. Knowing that it was enough and that I was the first ski jumper to win all four events in one year was somehow strange. But at the same time you could also feel what it took physically. The ten days were extreme. I was in a state of floating, relaxed and happy, but at the same time I was really at my limit.

You are still the last German to win the tour. Will this dry spell end this time with Pius Paschke?
I hope so. Every year I find myself saying that this year will be better than last year. But I don't think you can really top the position Pius is in now. What he's currently showing, also in terms of his physique, physically, looks easy. Pius has also been able to assert himself on various hill profiles in a wide range of conditions. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll finally hear the German anthem again on January 6th.

But the Austrians have something against that. And the ÖSV eagles have also been waiting a long time for a triumph ...
 But you guys are really spoiled and have had times when you dominated for years. And in the German case, we're still talking about the fact that I'm the last winner so far. In 2002! So I think you should give us priority now (laughs). But of course, Austria will have its say.

Jan Hörl

(Bild: AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur/Geir Olsen)

How do you see the ÖSV eagles positioned?
With Jan Hörl and Michael Hayböck there are two who have a similar style of jumping, they are not the aggressive ones, but rather the hoverers. They are two serious competitors for Paschke. Hörl sometimes lacks consistency - but it can also be an advantage if you can jump with less pressure than Paschke. I wouldn't write off Stefan Kraft either, because he has also shown in individual competitions that he is a force to be reckoned with and he can look back on a wealth of experience. That's why I assume that there will be a German-Austrian duel for victory this year.

However, top-class sport doesn't just have its highlights, it also has its downsides. For example, you made a burnout illness public. A consequence of the pressure to perform?
I think it depends on the type, because it doesn't mean that everyone who performs at their best in sport automatically gets burnout. It's more about your attitude towards things, how you deal with certain things. I've noticed that I'm still very ambitious and should perhaps be less of a perfectionist. But from an early age I never did things by halves or settled for half measures. And then there are some people who are better at switching off. In my case, it ultimately meant that I unfortunately had to end my career earlier than I would have liked. I had to learn to separate things better and not take everything into my private life.

What advice can you give to athletes or people in general who are also at risk of burnout?
At the end of the day, it's important to listen to your inner voice. I learned to ignore it for a long time. It works for a while, but then the screams get louder somehow. You feel that you're overwhelmed, that you want your peace and quiet. This is actually not a neutral state of a person, but exactly the point where it becomes critical. You shouldn't just assume that it will go away or that it's only temporary. My body is signaling to me that it's actually enough for today and that's okay. You have to listen to that. I also had to learn this first and I'm still struggling to really pay attention to it.

Many people still wonder what makes someone want to jump over a ski jump with two skis. What is the fascination for you?
You get into it as a small child. You see ski jumping, grow up in a region where you can ski jump, and then children copy what they see. That's why I'm glad that I had the opportunity to do it as a child in the Ore Mountains. Because it's not easy to try out ski jumping as an adult. I know that there will never be anything better for me personally in terms of sport and I am grateful for what I was able to experience.

Were there never any moments when your knees were shaking on the ski jump?
Yes, there were two or three times when I wasn't in such good shape and didn't quite feel the confidence. When the conditions are difficult, you start to worry. But normally you have a good feeling of what to do and what not to do. Sometimes it also has to do with a crash, where you know, okay, that was too much, I'll never do that again. And those are the things you learn from. You always have a bit of butterflies in your stomach, but that's also important and a good thing, because it keeps all your feelings and synapses awake.

Noriaki Kasai

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Someone who seems to have perfected this is Noriaki Kasai. You even know him from your active time ...
 Noriaki is now at the point where it's harder for him to assert himself within the team, so that he at least gets the sixth starting position or the fifth starting position. But I would love to be in his shoes, because then of course I would know that I am still a ski jumper. And I take my hat off to him accordingly. We understood each other right from the start anyway, even if we do have some language barriers (laughs). A story like that is just great to watch. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he stays healthy for a long time, that he still has the physical strength to counteract certain forces that are at work in ski jumping. And accordingly, I'm looking forward to perhaps seeing him active again next time.

Ryoyu Kobayashi set an incredible record this year with a jump of 291 meters. However, the record is not officially recognized everywhere. What is your position on the debate?
In my eyes, the record is official. World records don't just appear on the results lists of competitions where you can apply for them. Ryoyu flew there, the conditions were comparable to a World Cup hill. Previously, you couldn't fly further than 253.5m because there was no larger hill. In the end, however, we are now talking about a normal hill record in Vikersund. For me it is simply clear: world records are not a FIS competition!