German women’s ski jumpers enter the new season with renewed enthusiasm

The German women’s ski jumping team heads into the new season buoyed by strong individual storylines and renewed motivation.

Selina Freitag was last winter’s breakthrough star. She finished second overall in the World Cup behind Slovenia’s standout Nika Prevc, stood on the podium 11 times, and was often close to her first individual victory. To challenge Prevc this season, Freitag will likely need to convert more of those podiums into wins. The summer Grand Prix opener in Courchevel suggested the rivalry could continue, as Prevc again prevailed, with Freitag the top German overall in the Grand Prix standings at ninth.

Katharina Schmid, third overall last season, is also targeting the front of the field again. After a blistering start last winter, her form dipped en route to the Japan World Cups in Sapporo and Zao, before she rebounded with fifth at the Lahti finale. Frustrated by the downturn, she briefly contemplated retirement, but says the fire has returned in training and she feels she can be competitive once she executes her jumps.

Anna Hollandt has re-found her joy for the sport after publicly sharing that she struggled with mental health issues last season, which led to a three‑month break and an early end to her campaign. She says time away from elite sport—cycling in winter and discovering Pilates—helped her recover, and she is focused less on results and more on well‑being and team spirit this winter.

Agnes Reisch finished 14th overall last season, took a career‑best second place in Lake Placid for her first World Cup podium, and placed eighth in the Klingenthal summer Grand Prix. She could also factor more consistently near the top this season.

The competitive landscape has shifted due to injuries: 2023 overall World Cup champion Eva Pinkelnig and 2023 world champion Alexandria Loutitt both suffered serious knee injuries during the Val di Fiemme summer Grand Prix and will miss time. That could open opportunities for Freitag, Schmid, and others as the World Cup begins in Lillehammer and runs through to the season finale in Planica.