Will impressive Prevc siblings secure wins in Willingen?
Jan 29, 2025·Ski Jumping)
The women’s and men’s World Cup circuits will combine for just the third time this season when the respective fields unite in Willingen (GER) for the latest FIS Ski Jumping showdown.
It will provide crowds with the rare opportunity to watch both of Slovenia’s star Prevc siblings.
And the pair are in great form, with Domen having claimed his first win of the season in Obersdorf’s second Ski Flying World Cup last weekend, whilst Nika currently leads the race for the women’s Crystal Globe.
In the first action from the HS147 Mühlenkopfschanze hill, in Willingen, athletes from each gender unite for the Mixed Team competition (31 January).
The following day (1 February) will see the women and men compete in respective individual World Cup events, before the men return for a second hit at the hill on Sunday (2 Feb).
2023/24 Crystal Globe winner Nika Prevc (SLO) made a strong start to the new year, by retaining the Two Nights Tour title and since then has attained four podium finishes from six events, but surprisingly – given her form this season – only one of these included a victory.
That has been enough to see her take the lead in the race for the 2024/25 Crystal Globe though with main rival, Katharina Schmid (GER), currently struggling.
After finishing 16th and 12th in the two World Cup events in Zao (JPN) last weekend, Schmid has lost ground on her main rival Prevc and stated she needed to “go home, relax and get my things together” ahead of the contest in Willingen, in her homeland.
Heading into the World Cup double-header – in what is the women’s ninth host venue of the 2024/25 campaign – full confidence is Jacqueline Seifriedsberger (AUT), who delivered her first World Cup win of the season in Zao (JPN).
The 34-year-old double European Games champion is building momentum, having secured her first podium in over 10 months, with third in Villach, in her homeland earlier this month.
Seifriedsberger will be hopeful of securing further honours in Willingen, on a hill she recorded her sole victory from last season.
World champion Alexandria Loutitt (CAN), European Games silver medallist Eirin Maria Kvandall (NOR) have both picked up important victories in January.
Thea Minyan Bjoerseth (NOR) is another Norwegian gradually collecting podium places and looking to attain peak form in the build-up to the 2025 World Championships, which take place in her homeland.
Two-time World champion Selina Freitag (GER) made an impressive start to the season with a double podium finish on the opening weekend in Lillehammer (NOR) before a dip in form.
Second Sapporo (JPN) followed by a victory alongside countrywoman Agnes Reish in the Women’s Super Team event in Zao last weekend should give her confidence heading into a contest in front of expectant home supporters.
Freitag’s national team-mate Pius Paschke is another hoping to recapture form shown earlier in the season.
The veteran raced into a strong World Cup lead with five wins from the opening seven events, but he is without a podium finish in his last nine individual starts.
Paschke will hope for a morale-boosting start to the World Cup in his homeland with the German team looking to build on their season-opening victory on day one of the 2024/25 campaign.
That event, in Lillehammer (NOR), saw Paschke, Andreas Wellinger, Schmid and Freitag combine for victory in the Mixed Team discipline, ahead of Norway and Austria.
All three nations are expected to be in contention for the podium places again, as Slovenia, who were fourth in Lillhammer, but possess a host of in-form athletes looking to build on their individual honours.
Speaking of those solos Slovenian successes, it was first Timi Zajc and then Domen Prevc who took victories across two days in the men’s first Ski Flying World Cups of the season last weekend in Oberstdoft, Germany.
For Zajc it ensured he extended his run of claiming a victory each season since 2021/22, while Prevc ended his near six year wait to top a Ski Flying podium again.
After claiming his first Four Hills Tournament title in early January Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) returned with a victory in Zakopane (JPN), but finishing fourth and sixth in Oberstdorf (GER) has given rivals hope of reducing his lead in the overall World Cup standings.
Tschofenig currently has 1146 points, with team-mate Jan Hoerl (1043) is second, with Paschke (871) third and another Austrian, Stefan Kraft (823) fourth.
Gregor Deschwanden of Switzerland (740) possesses strong podium potential when he can master the conditions, while Norwegian Johann Andre Forfang (597) has proven pedigree from the Mühlenkopfschanze hill.
He won the first World Cup in Willingen last season and set a new record, of 155.5m, in the process.
Andreas Wellinger of Germany, (552 points), delighted the home crowd with a stunning comeback victory at last year’s second World Cup event, having placed seventh in the first round and will be aiming to draw on that experience as he seeks success in 2025.
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Willingen (GER):
31 January
16.00 Competition start Mixed Team Event
1 February
11.00 Start Qualification Women’s LH
12.00 Competition Start Women’s LH
14.30 Start Qualification Men’s LH
16.00 Competition Start Men’s LH
2 February
14.30 Start Qualification Men’s LH
16.00 Competition Start Men’s LH
* All listings are in Central European Time (CET) and are subject to change.
Willingen World Cup Facts & Figures
The first ski jumping hill on the Mühlenkopf mountain was built a century ago, with the ceremonial opening taking place a year later, in 1926. The large hill expansion took place in 1951 and the venue has twice undergone significant renovations in the years since – 2000 and 2013.
Willingen has hosted FIS Ski Jumping World Cup events since the 1994/95 season and after initially appearing on a biennial basis, it is now a permanent annual fixture.
The venue, in Willingen, which is part of the German state of Hessen, has a HS147 size hill, with a K-point of 130, whilst the maximum capacity is 23,500 spectators.
Last season Jacqueline Seifriedsberger (AUT) and Silje Opseth (NOR) claimed respective victories in the women’s World Cup events.
Last season Johann Andre Forfang (NOR) and Andreas Wellinger (GER) claimed respective victories in the men’s World Cup events.
The official hill record was set by Johann Andre Forfang (NOR) during last year’s first World Cup event, when he landed a colossal 155.5m jump.
