Austrian ski jumpers begin Olympic winter as the team to beat: “Olympic gold? I’m happy with any medal!”

Austria’s men’s ski jumping team launches its Olympic winter on Friday in Lillehammer, Norway, returning to World Cup action as the field’s primary target after a dominant 2024/25 campaign.

Head coach Andreas Widhölzl notes that last season’s dream run—highlighted by a sweep of the Four Hills Tournament podium as well as a triple sweep in the overall World Cup standings—was beyond expectations. The squad found winning momentum from the very first competitions, he explains, and once in that flow, results came more easily.

Despite the pressure of favoritism and external talk of Olympic gold, Widhölzl downplays specific medal color expectations, stressing that any place on the Olympic podium would be an achievement. The piece sets the scene for the World Cup opener in Lillehammer and the team’s broader Olympic aims, with the rest of the circuit eager to knock Austria off its perch.