Andreas Wellinger, the Olympic gold medalist from Pyeongchang 2018, started the winter season with a bang! This 28-year-old Bavarian skier clinched the first ski jumping qualifier of the season with a jaw-dropping jump of 144 meters in Ruka, Finland.
Beating Switzerland's Gregor Deschwanden and teammate Stephan Leyhe, Wellinger left his competitors in his wake. In the eyes of national coach Stefan Horngacher, Wellinger is Germany's best hope in the World Cup.
Other German jumpers also made their mark, with Philipp Raimund (6th), Karl Geiger (7th), Pius Paschke (13th), and Martin Hamann (18th) all securing spots in the top 50. The world's top jumpers gear up for the first World Cup individual event this Saturday. With the winner taking away the coveted yellow jersey, the anticipation is palpable.
As for Wellinger, the winter season is an opportunity to build on his preparations and make an impact in upcoming events. This season marks a significant departure from the usual highlights of the Nordic World Ski Championships and the Winter Olympics. Instead, our focus shifts to the Four Hills Tournament around the turn of the year and the Ski Flying World Championships at Kulm in Austria in January.
The enrichment data reveals that Wellinger has already impressed in his preparation stages, placing 10th in the overall standings with 597 points in the 2021-2022 World Cup ski jumping season. However, specific competition schedules and chances for the skier remain up in the air, calling for further investigation aligned with the official FIS Ski Jumping World Cup calendar or recent news updates.
