“Total flop”: Home favorite Karl Geiger fails to qualify in Oberstdorf for the first time since 2013

German ski jumper Karl Geiger suffered a shock failure in qualification for the Four Hills Tournament event in Oberstdorf, missing the main competition on his home hill for the first time since 2013.

Geiger managed only 106.5 meters and placed 53rd in qualifying on the Schattenbergschanze (HS 137), falling short of the cut. Speaking to ARD, the 32‑year‑old called it “a proper grab in the toilet” and admitted he was deeply frustrated and unsure of what comes next. Despite the disappointment, he vowed to fight on at the next stop in Garmisch‑Partenkirchen and “give my best again.”

The result comes after Geiger had deliberately stepped back from competition to train, following earlier qualifying failures in Wisła (56th and 54th). The hoped‑for turnaround did not materialize. Former Germany head coach Werner Schuster told Eurosport it was a “tremendous setback.”

There was better news for Germany elsewhere: teammate Philipp Raimund took second in the Oberstdorf qualifier, narrowly missing what would have been just the third German qualifying win at Oberstdorf since 2000. The last German to top Oberstdorf qualifying were Andreas Wellinger (2021) and Richard Freitag (2017).