Team rivalry? ÖSV eagle Daniel Tschofenig: “It could well be that …”

A few days before the new ski‑jumping season begins, Austria’s title holder Daniel Tschofenig strikes a calm tone. Now 23, the World Cup overall winner and Four Hills Tournament champion from last winter says he does not feel bound to repeat every result and is prepared to switch from being the hunted to the hunter if the situation demands it.

“It all starts from zero again,” Austria’s Sportsman of the Year emphasized ahead of the opener in Lillehammer. Although he left last season’s World Championships without a medal, he is unconcerned heading into the Olympic winter and wants to land his big results when it matters most this season.

Tschofenig insists there is no burden to validate his “dream season.” “Not really. The season was amazing, but I know that’s not the norm. No one can take away what I achieved, and that’s how I’ll go into it,” he said. “I can’t carry anything over from last season. We’ll see in Lillehammer what comes out. In the best case I’m the one being chased again, but it could well be that I have to do the chasing.”

He expects fierce competition from within the Austrian camp, notably from Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft. That internal rivalry, he believes, can once again create a red‑white‑red momentum across the team: “It’s good to have that perspective and motivation in the team so you keep getting better,” said Tschofenig.

Last season was nearly perfect for the Innsbruck‑based Carinthian. He claimed his first World Cup victory in early December, added seven more wins and numerous podiums, and, after winning the Four Hills Tournament, took the World Cup leader’s bib and never relinquished it through the end of the season.