Star’s collapse at the Four Hills: Andreas Wellinger’s disastrous opener in Oberstdorf

German fans feared the worst before this year’s Four Hills Tournament, and Oberstdorf confirmed those worries. While hopes centered on Philipp Raimund and Felix Hoffmann, the big names—Karl Geiger and Andreas Wellinger—struggled badly.

Geiger’s woes began already in qualification, where he failed to advance. Wellinger made the competition but delivered a shockingly poor first-round jump. Paired in the KO format against compatriot Felix Hoffmann, Wellinger was nowhere near contention, managing only 110.5 meters—at that moment the shortest jump of the round. He initially ranked last and ultimately finished the first series in 49th place, ahead of only Constantine Schmid among Germans.

At the front, Domen Prevc continued his sparkling form to lead after the opening round. Jan Hörl sat second, with Jonas Schuster third. The article also notes that three Polish jumpers qualified for the final series. The Oberstdorf event is the first stop of the Four Hills Tournament, a flagship part of the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup calendar.