Eleven centimeters

Created: 01/01/2022, 8:52 PM

By: Patrick Hilmes

Optical illusion: Markus Eisenbichler did not fly through the 100, but in second place in the New Year's competition.

© Imago

The Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi wins the New Year's competition in 2022 a touch ahead of Markus Eisenbichler, who was only 0.2 points short of being the first German to win again in Garmisch-Partenkirchen after Sven Hannawald in 2002.

Get off the beam, crouch down the track, take a perfect jump on the jump table and then it goes far, very far. When Markus Eisenbichler landed downstairs, a murmur went through the ski stadium - a small one, more than the media representatives, officials, guests of honor, a few visitors to the Oylmpiahaus as well as athletes, coaches and helpers were not allowed to come. Eisenbichler cheers, his teammates applaud, the journalists are already thinking about the headline: something with a hill record. But the DSV-Adler missed the previous year's distance from Dawid Kubacki (Poland). He had sailed on 144, Eisenbichler on 143.5. Tight in a double sense. Because the 30-year-old from Siegsdorf was also granted first place in the daily ranking. He was missing a measly 0.2 points on the Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi, or in other words: eleven centimeters.About the length of the Duplo chocolate bar.

Hannawald, who?

Markus Eisenbichler was joking at the press conference.

So little was missing to break the spell at New Year's jumping. Because since 2002 Sven Hannawald has not been able to win a German in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Eisenbichler was anything but sad about it, however, was in a good mood and was also in the mood for jokes at the subsequent press conference. When asked about the last triumph of a German on New Year's Eve, Eisenbichler asked mischievously: “Hannawald, who?” He wasn't annoyed that he had missed his fourth World Cup victory, but was happy about his two jumps (141 meters in the first). “Two times over 140 meters, what do I want to complain about?” With that he flew further than the Japanese (143 and 135.5), but Eisenbichler's landings were unclean, he did not use the telemark for his 143-meter set.The podium was completed by surprise man Lovro Kos from Slovenia.

Windpech: Geiger only comes in seventh

Karl Geiger, on the other hand, is allowed to bury his dream of winning the tour this year again.

The Oberstdorfer did not get past seventh place on New Year's - 130 and 127.5 meters - but also had a lot of bad luck.

In the first round, for example, he started right in front of Kobayashi, who was awarded a wind point, Geiger a total of eleven.

At first, Halvor Egne Granerud was also disappointed.

The Norwegian missed his first jump and only got into position 22.

With a lot of anger in his stomach, however, he set 140.5 meters into the snow with his second set.

And at this distance the following athletes bit their teeth for a long time, so that the second from Oberstdorf was at least eighth.

The top ten were completed by Stephan Leyhe (SC Willingen).