Wellinger experiences another debacle ahead of the Four Hills Tournament

Olympic ski jumping champion Andreas Wellinger also messed up his last competition jump before the Four Hills Tournament and said goodbye to the competition break with a sporting defeat. The 30-year-old Bavarian failed to qualify in Klingenthal after failing to get past a jump of 111.5 meters.

For Wellinger, the first phase of the season before Christmas ended in failure. After finishing 40th in the singles on Saturday, the Pyeongchang 2018 gold medallist had already announced that he would not compete in the World Cup in Engelberg, Switzerland. It is not clear whether he will return to the German Ski Association (DSV) squad for the Tournament (from 29 December).

Wellinger: "Can't get it done"

"We will definitely put in a training session at home or on a few other hills and try to get him back up to speed," said national coach Stefan Horngacher.

Except for a seventh place in Ruka, Finland, Wellinger has been lagging behind the competition so far this season. "My jumping performance is simply poor at the moment. I can't get the consistency I need. It's such choppy movements," he said, describing his problems.