Four Hills Tournament Q&A with Eurosport ski jumping expert Martin Schmitt ahead of iconic winter sports event

Who do you see as the favourite for the Four Hills?

For me, Dawid Kubacki is the main favourite but there are several guys who are pretty close to him but he is a bit ahead, in my opinion. You know at the Four Hills it comes down to self-confidence and the mental part. You need to have a good start in Oberstdorf, as it’s important to get a good result and get a good feeling over the training jumps to develop your self-confidence. You need to know that you can actually make it this year and you need to get this feeling jump-by-jump and then you can build up your self-confidence. That helps you in the competition to perform at the highest level.

Are there younger jumpers you think could make a name for themselves?

Yes, there are several jumpers who are on their way to the top. Last season, Daniel Tschofenig from Austria showed up in the World Cup and this season he is doing pretty well – maybe not the consistency yet, but he’s for sure on a good path to being a really elite World Cup jumper.

What makes the Four Hills tournament so special and different from other events on the calendar?

It’s a different rhythm. Normally, you take it week by week or weekend by weekend, and you have a few days’ rest in between. But at the Four Hills, it’s one competition, one after the other, so you need to perform day by day. You cannot afford any mistakes in these eight jumps. It’s special, you have four different hills, you need to adapt quite fast on the different hills, and of course, it’s the pressure all around – you want to use it to help you win it for sure.

But also all the media expectations, and the spectators’ expectations, the fantastic crowd and the fantastic atmosphere in the stadium. It’s special, and it’s such a nice event. I’m really looking forward to this year and that we have spectators again at the Four Hills. It’s really great to have this coming up. After all these years, it’s still a very special event.

Does the Four Hills event help to grow the sport worldwide?

I think it’s really important for our sport to have it at this special time of the year because you are normally at your home. You have time after the Christmas celebrations, a few days off, then it’s nice to watch sport on television – you don’t need to do much, just sit on your sofa and watch ski jumping. It’s quite nice, but I have never experienced that because I was never at home!

What’s your favourite Four Hills memory?

My favourite Four Hills memory is my victory in ’99-‘2000 in Oberstdorf because it was such an amazing competition. It was pretty close between Andreas Goldberger and me. It was such an amazing second jump. At the time all the jumpers had to jump from one gate. I think I jumped for one record and then Andreas improved the hill record. I was in the lead after the first run, I knew I had to jump another hill record to be able to win it. I think the record before was about 125 and then we improved in this competition by seven metres or so. It was an amazing competition to win, it’s such an exciting competition in front of your home crowd. It was just amazing.

Who are the main favourites to win the Crystal Globe this season?

The main favourite is Dawid Kubacki for me because he’s in such amazing shape and I think he has the consistency you need to win the World Cup. But of course, you never know. It’s a long season until April and with the ski flying at the end maybe this should think about Anze Lanisek.

What have you made of Anze Lansek this season?

It’s not out of nowhere for Anze. He’s made progress over the last couple of years and he has come closer and closer to the very, very top and this year he’s really outstanding. He has improved his technique, he has the power you need to perform on the highest level. He is a brilliant jumper with excellent style.

I think the flight position is one of the best in the World Cup, he is really outstanding and he shows the modern way of ski jumping, with skis not in the V style, more in the H style, skis not tilted to get the aerodynamic lift. To use the lift process, it is the best possible way, so yes, he is outstanding to handle all the pressure under the skis. This is his special feeling. So he’s really outstanding, and he’s really good with the telemark when he is jumping long, very far. He is a complete jumper and it’s nice to see him at the very top.

Do you think we’ll ever see a women’s Four Hills tournament and is it overdue?

Yeah, we need to have a women’s Four Hills, I think it really is important. It’s so sad that they can’t manage to do it next season, I don’t know what exactly is the reason. I heard that in Innsbruck they have no lights, so they cannot jump in the evening and then they get problems with the schedule to do women’s and men’s on one day.

I think they now have a serious competition with Villacher and Savina but it’s not the Four Hills and to actually have the Four Hills, you need these four places. You need to have four hills because it’s a brand so you cannot make up for it by taking it to other locations. I hope that the ski association can force organisations to install a Four Hills tournament for the women.

I really think it would be nice to have women and men performing in Oberstdorf, in Garmisch, on the same day, in front of a huge crowd with all the spectators – it would be really, really nice and I think important for sport as well because the women’s competitions are very, very exciting and they would reach another level with the Four Hills.

What are your fondest memories from when you were racing?

Of course my victories! It’s nice to look back at some amazing competitions, not only the victories – for sure I’ve had great experiences in the World Cup over all these years and nice memories. But of course, there were some outstanding, big victories in front of the home crowd but also at the World Championships in Salt Lake City with the Olympic Games team. They are the best memories.

In your professional career, what is the most special moment?

I think the most special moment is winning the first World Cup competition – because it showed me that I actually can do it. I remember it quite well. So the days before this competition in Lillehammer, when I saw the others and I knew I’m on the same level, maybe I’m the best jumper on the hill, but actually to do it in the competition and to win it and to wear the yellow bib. I think you have dreamed of this as a child, that was the most important step in my career.

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