The Ski Jumping season at a glance

It will be exciting again - of course. A main factor of the fascination of Ski Jumping is that one never knows who will come out on top, this especially applies before the start of a new season. We have put together an overview of the favorites, the calendar and the highlights of the upcoming season.

The favorites

Stefan Kraft (AUT) - World Cup 2016/2017: 1st

Last season's high flyer He had a slow start into the season (first win in Oberstdorf - 4-Hills-Tournament) and then he started a great streak about a month later with two wins at the Ski Flying event in Oberstdorf. This streak earned him the well deserved overall World Cup title.
Potential: TOP 3

Kamil Stoch (POL) - World Cup 2016/2017: 2nd

Put up a big fight against Stefan Kraft last winter. After an absolutely bad start (26th and 22nd in Ruka/Kuusamo) Stoch got back on track and won the 4-Hills-Tournament. After that, he showed outstanding performances in Wisla and Zakopane. At the end, he came in second in the overall World Cup. Despite strong performances, he could not keep up with Stefan's Krafts run in the final weeks of the season.
Potential: TOP 3

Daniel Andre Tande (NOR) - World Cup 2016/17: 3rd

When you look at the performance curve of Tande, the 23-year-old would have to take a clear win in the overall World Cup 2017/18. He was 45th in the 2014/15 winter season, seventh in 2015/16 and third last winter. But obviously, Ski Jumping is not that simple. Tande has enormous potential and last winter was the first time he could really show that. He easily handled the defeat in the 4-Hills-Tournament.
Potential: Top 3

Andreas Wellinger (GER) - World Cup 2016/17: 4th

What a great performance of Andreas Wellinger in the RAW AIR in Norway. Excitement until the very last jump, that happened too early for him to beat an extremely strong Stefan Kraft. Wellinger is the crown jewel of German Ski Jumping. The odds have never been better for the 1.83-meter-tall man with the perfect leverage for Ski Jumping. So far Wellinger has won twice in the World Cup, this number will probably increase in the upcoming winter.
Potential: TOP 3

Maciej Kot (POL) - World Cup 2016/17: 5th

Maciej Kot is something like the crown prince in the strong Polish team. Many experts are waiting for him to explode and land a big win. The 26-year-old definitely has the necessary skills. Pushed by his own strong teammates, Kot is definitely capable of stealing the show from the big names in the upcoming winter. 
Potential: TOP 3

Domen Prevc (SLO) - World Cup 2016/17: 6th

He was the big surprise last winter. The 16-year-old came to the 4-Hills-Tournament as the World Cup leader after wins in Ruka, Klingenthal, Lillehammer and Engelberg. The hype around him was huge. The dream of the 4-Hills win was over for him already after the first competition in Oberstdorf (26th). But still, he had a great winter. After his 6th place in the overall World Cup, one can only guess what's possible for the youngest of the three Prevc brothers.
Potential: TOP 15

Michael Hayboeck (AUT) - World Cup 2016/17: 7th

Michael Hayboeck's potential is similar to the one of his friend and roommate Stefan Kraft. So far minor injuries often prevented the 26-year-old from fighting for the top spots constantly. Two weeks ago Hayboeck again sustained an injury, but he will be able to compete in the season opener in Wisla. It's still unclear whether he will be 100 % fit in order to start the season with a top result there.
Potential: Top 10

Markus Eisenbichler (GER) - World Cup 2016/17: 8th

Together with Andreas Wellinger, Markus Eisenbichler provided a strong winter for the German team, despite Severin Freund's absence due to an injury. The 26-year-old is still waiting for his first win in the World Cup. He is especially strong in Ski Flying. Potential: Top 10

Peter Prevc (SLO) - World Cup 2016/17: 9th

The mental factor is one of the key elements in Ski Jumping. There's currently no better example for that than Slovenia's Peter Prevc. Prevc, who enjoys great respect among the other athletes for his sportsmanship, can be the world's best Ski Jumper. He was exactly that in the 2015/16 season, when he won the overall World Cup title with 2303 points, almost 1000 points ahead of second-placed Severin Freund. That same winter he also won the 4-Hills-Tournament and the title at the Ski Flying World Championships. Many experts were sure that Peter Prevc will be better than the rest also for the next couple of years. But when the next season started in Ruka he lost an almost certain victory due to a fall and finished third. After that, he couldn't achieve top results and nothing went well for Peter Prevc. Nobody knows exactly where the mistakes are hidden in Peter Prevc Ski Jumping system. If he will be able to show is potential, the serial winner Prevc will be back right away.
Potential: Top 5

Manuel Fettner (AUT) - World Cup 2016/17: 10th

Fettner is already 32-years old and he is jumping on the highest level for many years. Although he could not celebrate an individual win in the World Cup so far, "Fetti" is an extremely important member of the Austrian team. Everyone still remembers when Fettner crossed the fall line on one ski at the World Championships in Predazzo (ITA) 2013 and secured the gold medal in the team event. The 10th place in the overall World Cup last winter was a career-best for him and he is definitely able to achieve more Top 10 results in the future.
Potential: Top 10

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The calendar

The world's best ski jumpers start their season a week earlier than usual in Wisla (POL) on November 18th and 19th.

After Wisla the World Cup stops at traditional venues in Ruka/Kuusamo (FIN) on November 25th and 26th, Nizhny Tagil (RUS) on December 2nd and 3rd, Titisee-Neustadt (GER) on December 9th and 10th and Engelberg (SUI) on December 16th and 17th.

The traditional 4-Hills-Tournament follows with events in Germany (Oberstdorf on December 30th and Garmisch-Partenkirchen on January 1st) and Austria (Innsbruck on January 4th and Bischofshofen on January 6th).

Then it's time for a Ski Flying event in Bad Mitterndorf (AUT) on January 13th and 14th, before the Ski Flying World Championships are held in Oberstdorf from January 19th to 21st.

The World Cup continues in Zakopane (POL) on January 27th and 28th, followed by the premiere of the "Willingen Five" in Willingen (GER) on February 3rd and 4th.

After that, the Ski Jumpers will take the long trip to the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang (KOR), where the medals in Ski Jumping will be awarded on February 10th, 17th and 19th (The ladies competition takes place on February 12th).

Lahti (FIN) hosts the first World Cup after the Olympics on March 3rd and 4th.

It is followed by the second edition of the RAW AIR Tour in Norway, with stops in Oslo (March 10th and 11th), Lillehammer (March 13th), Trondheim (March 15th) and the final in Vikersund (March 17th and 18th).

The World Cup final is traditionally held in Planica (SLO). Three events will take place on the Ski Flying hill there from March 23rd to 25th.

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The highlights

1.) The FIS Overall World Cup
18 venues · 31 competitions from Nov. 18th, 2017 - March 25th, 2018

2.) The 4-Hills-Tournament
4 venues · 4 competitions from Dec. 30th, 2017 - Jan. 6th, 2018

3.) The Ski Flying World Championships
3 days of competition (2 Individual - 1 Team) in Oberstdorf (GER) from Jan. 19th - 21st, 2018

4.) The Olympic Games
4 medal events in Ski Jumping (3 men, 1 ladies) in PyeongChang (KOR) from Feb. 10th - Feb. 19th, 2018

5.) RAW AIR
4 venues · 6 competitions (plus 4 qualifications counting for the overall ranking) from March 10th, 2018 - March 18th, 2018