Martin Schmitt criticises Timi Zajc after Two‑Leg disqualification at Four Hills Tournament: "Brazen"

Legendary ski jumper and TV expert Martin Schmitt sharply criticised events surrounding Timi Zajc’s disqualification at the Four Hills Tournament (TCS). Schmitt, quoted by German t-online.de and cited in Przegląd Sportowy Onet, described Zajc’s actions as “brazen” and said he had no sympathy for what happened in Garmisch‑Partenkirchen and Oberstdorf, where Zajc was twice disqualified for non‑compliant suits.

The Slovenian had a strong podium performance in Oberstdorf, but was later disqualified because the trouser leg of his jumping suit exceeded the legal length by three millimetres. A similar clothing violation earlier at Garmisch‑Partenkirchen also led to a red card and Zajc’s elimination from the tournament.

Schmitt said Zajc’s public joke on Instagram — that he wanted to “stretch” the suit a bit — likely prompted officials to check him before a jump rather than after, and that the result was predictable. “It’s a lesson for him,” Schmitt concluded, adding he felt sorry for Zajc in Oberstdorf but had no understanding for the repeated breach of the rules.

The piece quotes Przegląd Sportowy’s Maciej Skorupa and references the Four Hills Tournament as the context for the controversy.