Ski Jumping Grand Prix starts in Wisla

The FIS Grand Prix in summer is always an important test for the ski jumpers, and with many hills for summer jumping all over the world, the 2021 Grand Prix is also a serious competition serious.
For the first time, the women will also compete in the opening event in Wisla this year.

The 2021 FIS Grand Prix starts next weekend in Poland. Wisla is a popular venue with a very experienced organizing committee.

The venues of the 2021 FIS Grand Prix
Men: Wisla (POL) · Courchevel (FRA) · Schuchinsk (KAZ) · Chaikovsky (RUS) · Rasnov (ROU) · Hinzenbach (AUT) · Klingenthal (GER)
Women: Wisla (POL) · Courchevel (FRA) · Frenstat (CZE) · Chaikovsky (RUS) · Klingenthal (GER)

The defending champion
Due to the Covid-Pandemic, there were only two competitions in last year's Grand Prix, both held in Wisla (POL).
That's why there was no official overall champion. The most points were scored by Poland's Dawid Kubacki (200 points). Kubacki, who is usually extremely strong in summer, claimed both wins in the summer of 2020.

There have to be at least three competitions so that an overall winner can be crowned, since this summer, this fact is part of the FIS rules.

The favorites 2021
The Polish team is usually jumping well in summer, and Dawid Kubacki is usually their best. The 2019 normal hill World Champion loves the summer competitions and presents himself in top shape. This means that Kubacki is definitely also among the favorites in the summer of 2021.

In the women's competitions, it will be interesting to see, whether Slovenia's Nika Kriznar, Sara Takanashi (JPN), and Marita Kramer (AUT) can continue their exciting duels from last winter.

FIS Grand Prix since 1994
The FIS Grand Prix is carried out since 1994, the first-ever overall winner was Takanobu Okabe of Japan.
The women's Grand Prix was first held in 2012, Japan's Sara Takanashi was the first overall champion.

Hakuba and Hinterzartennot on the calendar
For the second time, Japan (Hakuba) is not on the Grand Prix calendar. When it comes to sports, everything is about the Olympic Games in Japan this summer, there's no room for summer Ski Jumping. Hinterzarten is also not on the calendar for the second time in a row. The construction works on the hill there are still not completed, it's not possible to jump in Hinterzarten right now.

S****chuchinsk (KAZ) new on the calendar
With Schuchinsk, a new venue with a breathtaking Ski Jumping facility is new on the calendar. The facility in the city of 50000 in the north of Kazakhstan opened in 2019 and is very spectacular. The fans can look forward to the pictures from the events there.

Spectators allowed
Spectators shall be allowed at most of the hills this summer, but this can change until right before the start of the competitions, that's what was learned over the past months.

New equipment controller
When the athletes will have to go to the equipment check after the competitions, there will face a new controller: Finland's Mika Jukkara replaces Austrian Sepp Gratzer, who retired after more than 20 years on the job. But Gratzer will support his successor on-site during this summer season.