"Like a stabbed bird" – Ski jumper Andreas Wellinger baffled at start of Olympic season

German ski jumper Andreas Wellinger is searching for his form right at the start of the Olympic season. In Lillehammer he failed to qualify for the men’s World Cup competition, managing only 110 meters on a hill where the best are flying 140 meters and more, finishing 56th in qualifying.

Visibly frustrated, Wellinger said he currently doesn’t even think about making a second round. He explained that ski jumping is allowing no mistakes at the moment – and he is making too many. “There’s no coherence in the system, no lightness,” he said, summing up his struggles.

A key challenge is the 2025 rule change that mandates even tighter suits with less material in the crotch. Sportschau expert Sven Hannawald observed that while Wellinger’s take‑off looks similar, the critical phase after take‑off lacks support: “He can keep the skis up, but they give him zero point zero lift.”

Wellinger described his flight like an airliner that never raises its nose to gain altitude: he is not getting into the upper flight path, and then he “hangs out like a stabbed bird.”

It was also a disappointing day for Pius Paschke, last year’s Lillehammer winner, who qualified only 51st with 112.5 meters and called his jump “simply shit,” citing a poor jump and bad wind. Unlike Wellinger, Paschke insisted his underlying system is fine, but conceded the overall flight setup isn’t yet where it was last year with the material change.

Head coach Stefan Horngacher tried to strike an optimistic tone, saying the season is just beginning and the team is working on solutions. Both Wellinger and Paschke will have another chance in Sunday’s qualifying.