Anders Jacobsen wins qualification in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Michael Uhrmann was fourth-best in the qualification in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The qualification for the New Year’s jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the day of signs of life.
Adam Malysz also reported back. The Pole, who nearly lost all tour chances in Oberstdorf, jumped 132 meters and scored 136.6 points. That tied him on points with four-time Olympic champion Simon Ammann. In total four Poles qualified for the competition. Dawid Kubacki, Stefan Hula and Kamil Stoch will fight for points alongside Malysz."
Pavel Karelin, the strong Russian this season who performed far below value in Oberstdorf, delivered a heroic 135.5-meter (136) jump. Only half a meter shorter was Michael Uhrmann (132.3), who was the best German on the day of signs of life. Michael Neumayer also showed a good jump and did not far behind Uhrmann. 'Now we can have a nice dinner and celebrate a bit and then we’ll really attack in the new year,' said Neumayer."
The two Finns Anssi Koivuranta and Janne Ahonen showed with jumps of 129.5 and 131.5 meters that they can always be counted on. Their countrymen Matti Hautamäki and Ville Larinto also finished well up and let Finland’s head coach Pekka Niemelä dream of a top-team result."
Morgenstern skips again
The Austrians will almost certainly rack up points again, because Andreas Kofler, Martin Koch, Manuel Fettner and Wolfgang Loitzl also showed solid jumps. The ÖSV Armada is ready for the first competition of 2011 – that much is clear from the qualification."
Thomas Morgenstern, the top favorite for the tour victory and winner of Oberstdorf, gave himself the qualification and must therefore start with number 50 at the New Year’s jump against the best of the qualification, Tom Hilde. Sven Hannawald also skipped all qualifications during his tour triumph in 2001/02 and flew to victory four times with number 50. There are strong indications that Morgenstern, nine years after Hannawald, will become the second jumper to achieve the Grand Slam."
Bulgarian jewel jumps daily best distance
But the day’s longest flight was shown by the newcomer of this season: the only 17-year-old Bulgarian Vladimir Zografski. In training he flew an impressive 141 meters and earned nods of approval from coaches and journalists.
The Bulgarians, a developing nation in ski jumping, have a true jewel. And this jewel is practicing modesty: 'I want to finish this season among the top 30 in the World Cup,' he told Berkutschi. On New Year’s Day Zografski can show that he is already capable of pushing a former tour winner out of the competition – he meets the Czech Jakub Janda in the knockout jump."
In the competition, local German fans can look forward to ten DSV eagles. Daniel Wenig, Marinus Kraus and Felix Schoft failed to qualify for the competition. Severin Freund, who scraped through the qualification as 47th with a blue eye, had to face Martin Koch in the knockout duel."
Both Italians will be missing at the New Year’s jump. Both Sebastian Colloredo and Andrea Morassi missed the competition qualification like Kalle Keituri and Dimitri Vassiliev. Especially Vassiliev is taking it easy after his cruciate ligament rupture. His focus is already on the next season. And the Russians have a strong Pavel Karelin."
The Czechs managed to compete again with a full team – all five eagles of coach David Jiroutek fight on New Year’s Day for World Cup points."
Source: www.vierschanzentuornee.com