Seifriedsberger predicts “special” home World Cup
Feb 19, 2025·Ski Jumping
The women’s elite ski jumping field will have a final opportunity to tune-up ahead of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (NOR) at the Hinzenbach World Cup double-header in Austria.
Around 60 athletes from 17 nations are expected to take to the HS90 Hill at the Energie AGE Arena from 22-23 February, with home fans hoping their athletes can maintain an impressive run of host nation success in recent years.
Eva Pinkelnig claimed the double last season, with Jacqueline Seifriedsberger finishing second and third across the two events. Pinkelnig and Chiara Kreuzer (AUT) also won a race each back in the 2022/23 campaign.
Pinkelnig, Seifriedsberger and Lisa Eder, a third-place finisher back in 2022, will be among those seeking further success in the 12th edition of the event in Upper Austria.
“I’m really looking forward to the home World Cup and Hinzenbach is always a special stop,” says European Games champion Seifriedsberger.
“Hinzenbach will also be the dress rehearsal for the World Championships, so I’ll try to keep the good vibes from the home World Cup as a boost to the World Championships.
Seifriedsberger, who has attained three podium finishes this season, including a victory in Zao (JPN) in January, continues; “I hope that we can help many fans and bring joy to kids.”
Hinzenbach was among the eight-strong line-up of venues for the first-ever women’s FIS Ski Jumping World Cup season in 2011/12 and the HS90 Normal Hill, known as Aigner-Schanze, has featured in all but two campaigns since, 2012/13 and 2017/18, when it was cancelled.
Defending Crystal Globe winner and current World Cup leader Nika Prevc (SLO) set the existing hill record of 94.5m last season and is expecting to again be among the main contenders for victory, after two wins in her homeland last weekend.
The 19-year-old’s successes extended her advantage over second-placed Katharina Schmid (GER) to 320 points in the overall standings.
Prevc has placed on the podium during two of her four World Cup appearances in Hinzenbach, but she is yet to win. Victory this weekend would take her to a total of 10 titles this season and give her a near unassailable points haul.
Schmid made an impressive start to the season and was the early yellow jersey holder before a slump in form, combined with improved results from Prevc reversed their placings in the overall standings.
The German recorded seven top-three results from the first nine World Cup events, which included four wins, but she has now gone nine events without a podium finish.
Schmid has shown improvements in qualification rounds at both the Lake Placid (USA) and Ljubno (SLO) World Cup events this month though and placed fifth in Slovenia last weekend.
Team-mate Selina Freitag (GER), who is third in the overall standings, also made a promising start to the season, but after a difficult couple of months, has now rediscovered her best form; placing second twice and third once, in her last three appearances.
Eirin Maria Kvandal (NOR) is fourth in the standings but opted to miss several World Cup stops in order to prioritise preparations for her home World Championships – Trondheim 2025 – and she will also skip the double-header in Hinzenbach (AUT).
Team-mate Thea Minyan Bjoerseth (NOR) initially excelled in her absence and looked set for victory in Ljubno, before a ‘nasty crash’ saw her sustain what the Norwegian team described as “long term” injuries, which saw the ski jumper ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Her countrywomen subsequently withdrew from the second day of competition and perhaps unsurprisingly the Norwegian team have opted against competing in Hinzenbach.
That should present those from other nations with opportunities, including the hosts, with 2024 Normal Hill World junior silver medalist Julia Muehlbacher (AUT) among those looking to gain further World Cup experience.
“Home World Cups are very important to us,” said the 20-year-old. “You’re basically in a living room with friends and families coming to watch and that’s why I love jumping there.
“We know the ski jump in Hinzenbach very well, the approach is flat and the take-off table is short and it’s therefore very important to have a good take-off and be beautifully balanced.
“I hope the Austrian team will have a successful weekend in Hinzenbach!”
Hinzenbach World Cup – Program:
22 February
10.30 – Start Qualification Women’s NH
12.00 – Competition Start Women’s NH
23 February
13.00 – Start Qualification Women’s NH
14.20 - Competition Start Women’s NH
*all time are in Central European Time (CET) and are subject to change
Hinzenbach World Cup Facts & Figures
The venue in Hinzenbach has one of the newest ski jumping hills on the circuit, with the HS90 Hill opening in 2010.
Hinzenbach was one of the eight venues used in the women’s debut FIS Ski Jumping World Cup season in 2011/12, ahead of an Olympic bow for the female categories at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (AUT) was the first-ever winner of a women’s World Cup in Austria, at the event in Hinzenbach in 2012, and she also won the second 24 hours later.
The current women’s hill record for the HS90 Hill is 94.5m, set back Nika Prevc (SLO) during the 2023/24 World Cup (25 Feb 2024).
World Cup leader Nika Prevc (SLO) will be seeking her first win in Hinzenbach, having missed out on victory during four previous appearances.
Sara Takanashi (JPN) holds the record for the most victories in Hinzenbach, having attained eight victories between between 2014 and 2021.
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