National coach Horngacher sees DSV-Adler on tour with good chances: "We have the people"

Created: 12/27/2021, 06:37 AM

From: Patrick Reichelt

Stefan Horngacher, trainer of the German ski jumpers.

© Swen Pförtner / dpa

Of course, Stefan Horngacher allowed himself and his German ski jumpers a few days off.

You could safely afford it.

The DSV-Adler lead the Nations Cup quite clearly after the first phase of the season.

And in the singles, too, a German is at the top before the first big highlight of the season, the Four Hills Tournament.

Local hero Karl Geiger will wear the yellow jersey of the World Cup leader on his home hill in Oberstdorf.

And hopes are high that Geiger will be able to have at least one important word about the overall victory on the 70th tour.

National coach Horngacher trusts him, as he explains in an interview with our newspaper.

But not just him - the 52-year-old even sees up to two other athletes in his ensemble who he would trust to make the leap to the top

Four Hills Tournament: What makes a good jumper an outstanding jumper?

There is a fairly successful book right now in which author Jim Collins, in a nutshell, examines the difference between good and outstanding.

How is it in ski jumping?

What makes a good jumper a great jumper?

Hmmm, a lot of athletes basically do things equally well.

I think it's the last ten percent that makes the difference.

Ski jumping is a risk sport.

Doing the right thing even in difficult moments, for example, is something that makes an athlete outstanding.

How do you see your own team?

The team is good!

I am very lucky to have 1,2,3 outstanding jumpers.

But I've never had such a high level of performance here in Germany.

Such a compact and good team from which two or three jumpers still stand out.

You mean Karl Geiger and Markus Eisenbichler.

Who is the third

With Andi Wellinger we still have a relatively young jumper in the team.

He has now made good connections after his injury.

He always shows very good jumps.

I really hope that he will be a little more stable this season and that we will still see a lot of him there.

Stephan Leyhe's injury was only a year ago.

But things are going very well for him anyway.

Could Andi Wellinger cause another surprise at the Olympic Games?

Yes, I do think that you can target the Olympics with him.

The games are actually ideal for him this season.

I don't know if it's enough for the tour.

It can happen very quickly with Andi when he smells a fuse.

But it can also go the other way very quickly ...

... which he has experienced enough over the past two years.

Yes, you need to be patient when ski jumping.

And you shouldn't go running your head against the wall too often.

That is also our job to help him.

He has everything he needs as a jumper.

But what he needs now most of all is patience.

Horngacher: "Over four competitions in a row, bring at least 90 percent"

What makes a great jumper a tournament winner?

Happiness?

I don't really want to talk about happiness.

Above all, a tour winner has to be very, very good.

That's not a question at all.

You have to perform excellently in all four jumps.

That is certainly the specialty.

But it's also about mental strength.

How do I manage to bring at least 90 percent of my productivity over four competitions in a row?

That's enough.

If you get 100, then something comes out like Sven Hannawald or Kamil Stoch, who all win jumping.

Sven Hannwald 2002 was also the last German tour victory.

What did the Germans not have that others have?

Well, a few times, especially in the last few years, there has always been exactly one exceptional jumper who was then better.

Whether that was the Kobayashi or lastly Stoch.

The Germans have always had very good jumpers.

But not always outstanding.

Even Karl (violinist, editor) first had to learn to win.

Four Hills Tournament: "It's also more difficult for our jumpers on the tour"

But it hasn't been enough for him on the tour either.

Yes, he always had at least one or two mistakes too many for that.

But you also have to say that it is more difficult for our jumpers on the tour.

You have a media backpack on from the very first moment.

Then there are the mums, dads or club trainers.

Especially with the German jumping there are a lot of outside influences.

The Poles or the Norwegians and Japanese do not have that in this institution.

Although the German jumping competitions have not been so bad in recent years.

Whether Severin Freund, Markus Eisenbichler or, most recently, Karl Geiger.

Everyone was still in good shape at the halfway point of the tour.

The problem was Innsbruck.

That's right, we were reliably wrong.

But that's exactly where we have now set the lever.

We jumped on the Bergisel several times in preparation.

We worked on how to jump there.

We had good results there when I think of the World Cup.

But we have to get over this mountain now.

And then gamble away the tour in Bischofshofen ...?

(laughs) Ah, no.

We have never been wrong in Bischofshofen.

We always look forward to it - it shouldn't be because of Bischofshofen.

That sounds confident - can the German series break?

I am always confident.

Karl and Markus in particular can do that, we have no problem with that.

We have the people.

Who are the opponents?

The usual suspects like Kobayashi or Kraft.

Or do you see a surprise candidate?

You always have to name Kobayashi or Kraft.

Stoch too.

If you think of outsiders, then maybe a young Austrian or the Swiss Peier.

But no, I think the tour winner will come from among the usual suspects.

You are known as a musician.

Is the guitar also on tour?

I wouldn't say musician now.

(laughs) I play the guitar and of course it's always with me.

With headphones, and then we play.

Do the songs depend on the results?

Oh yes, definitely.

If it doesn't work, something harder will be unpacked.

I hope for some casual, lively guitar riffs.

Interview: Patrick Reichelt * tz.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA