The 2025 Ski Flying World Cup held at the Heini-Klopfer Ski Flying Hill in Oberstdorf showcased the dominance of Slovenian athletes, particularly Domen Prevc, who secured yet another victory, leaving the German team searching for form.
Held from January 24 to 26, 2025, the competition became the stage for dramatic flights as fans cheered and athletes tried to defy gravity. Timi Zajc, who had been on fire leading up to this event, continued to impress as he took home his first victory of the weekend. The season's first ski flying contests drew considerable interest, especially after the recent Four Hills Tournament where many athletes struggled.
On Sunday, January 26, the team from the German Ski Association (DSV) fielded seven competitors including fan favorites like Karl Geiger and Andreas Wellinger, who were both eager to perform well on home soil, reflecting on their previous experiences. The qualification round began at 14:15, but it was another Slovenian talent, Prevc, who clinched the top position after both days of jumping.
On Saturday, 12,500 spectators witnessed Zajc dominate the event, finishing just above Norwegian Johann Andre Forfang who took second place. Geiger managed to finish as the best German competitor at tenth place, marking only the first signs of his potential resurgence. His compatriots faced battles of their own, with Wellinger as the reigning Olympic champion continuing to grapple with self-doubt and performance issues.
Prevc, the star of the show, commented on his jumps—while he didn’t break his own record set back in 2022, he still landed impressive leaps of 226.5 and 231.5 meters to secure the victory. His total score of 436.8 points positioned him ahead of Forfang, who had 433.2 points, and the third-place finisher Michael Hayböck at 429.1 points. Geiger, with 414.7 points, lamented the inconsistency of the weather, mentioning the challenges of jumping with strong winds, saying, "Das ist bei so viel Rückenwind eine andere Sportart. Der Sprung war definitiv der beste des ganzen Wochenendes. Mit ein bisschen mehr Glück und ein bisschen mehr Leichtigkeit geht das wieder."
The contrasting performances between the Slovenian athletes and their German counterparts were stark. While the Slovenes celebrated multiple podium finishes, German jumpers were repeatedly sidelined during the competition, leading their coach, Stefan Horngacher, to reflect on the deficiencies of the weekend, stating, "Mit dem Ergebnis können wir definitiv nicht zufrieden sein. Das ist zu wenig." These moments of disappointment within the home crowd cast shadows on the usually vibrant atmosphere of Oberstdorf, but fans remained hopeful.
Despite this weekend’s results leaving much to be desired, there were hints of strategies being devised by the coaching staff. With the World Championships looming on the horizon, there’s still hope for improvement. Plans to build on this weekend’s experience during upcoming competitions will be key, as well as the necessity to mentally prepare for the next stages of the season. Wellinger’s outlook expressed during the event emphasized this sentiment: "Ich freue mich auf das Skifliegen daheim in Oberstdorf." He acknowledged needing to find his confidence but believes such localized competitions can help.
The German ski jumping team now sets its eyes on the next World Cup stop at Willingen, where they aim to turn their fortunes around. With each athlete vying to find their rhythm, fans can expect to see them come back stronger. The challenges of flying high are real, with windy conditions, personal doubts, and fierce competition, but the DSV team’s resilience may begin to show come February.