4-Hills-Tournament: No spectators in Oberstdorf
Nov 30, 2020·Ski Jumping
For the first time in its 68-year-long history, the traditional 4-Hills-Tournament will take place with empty stands. The organizing committee of the opening event in Oberstdorf announced on Monday that they can't continue planning with 2500 spectators per day for their event on December 28th and 29th.
"It really hurts, but we have to pull the plug with a heavy heart now and plan without spectators. What makes it hurt even more is the fact that together with the German Ski Association and the local health authorities we have worked out a good corona-concept and we have been optimistic until the very end", explains Dr. Peter Kruijer, chairman of the ski club in Oberstdorf and president of the organizing committee.
After stricter restrictions were recently imposed in Bavaria, including a ban of spectators at professional sports events until at least December 20th, the organizing committee had no chance anymore. "Considering the continuously high infection rate in Bavaria and the recent decisions of the government, we simply have to assume that these restrictions will still be in place after Christmas. That's why we are lacking planning reliability and the basis for an event with spectators. It's a shame, because we, as an organizing committee, did everything we could do carry out the opening event with a limited number of fans in the stands", said Florian Stern, CEO of the "Skisport- and Veranstaltungs GmbH" and general secretary of the opening event in Oberstdorf.
The demand for tickets was huge and all of the 2500 available tickets for the competition were sold out within an hour, about 2000 tickets have already been sold for the qualification. As promised, the ticket owners will now get a refund. "This is done automatically via the ticket agencies. We ask the Ski Jumping fans for their patience", said Stern.
The other three hosts of the 4-Hills-Tournament, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen, already announced a few weeks ago that they are planning events without spectators.
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