In two weeks the ski jumpers will start the 2024/2025 World Cup season in Lillehammer, Norway. After a mixed last winter, the five-time World Cup gold medalist Karl Geiger is starting the new season with ambitious goals and has big plans not only for the Four Hills Tournament and the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim in February 2025.
sport.de spoke exclusively with the 31-year-old about his previous preparation priorities, the new regulations and his goals for the coming winter.
Mr. Geiger, the new 2024/2025 World Cup season starts in Lillehammer on November 22nd. How do you look back on the past summer and how do you now rate the hot phase of World Cup preparation?
Karl Geiger: I was very satisfied with the first part of the preparation and then went to the Summer Grand Prix in Courchevel in August with a good feeling. However, a few error images appeared there that I also struggled with last winter. That caused a certain restlessness in me. Then I worked on the points where things weren’t going well. In the last few weeks I’ve jumped much better and now have a good feeling for the winter.
What exactly are the adjustments that you have worked on the most recently?
It’s about technical details, about jump details. It’s sometimes a bit deceptive when I know exactly what it should look like, but I can’t get it to work. The key is to find out the right points to work on. For me, the starting position and the take-off movement are always big issues, in which direction I aim for the take-off thrust. I changed a little something and I have the feeling that things are getting better now.
Do you enjoy this detailed work in training? Or are you now more yearning for competition?
I like it in itself. I am a very analytical person and work out my individual points very well. If things don’t go as planned, it can get a bit frustrating, but that’s not a problem either. Recently things have gotten significantly better.
The new World Cup season starts with the first weekend in Lillehammer on November 22nd. What exactly does the hot phase of preparation look like for you and the DSV team before you head to Norway?
We recently had a course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and are going to the final course in Klingenthal next week. We will do the last training sessions there and then after a short break we will go to Norway.
Last season you finished 17th in the overall World Cup – with a few ups and downs. How quickly were you able to put last year behind you?
That’s always difficult to say. I had a very good December, but then from January 2024 I didn’t really get into shape anymore. I had good jumps at certain points, but it was far too inconsistent and the base was simply not enough. I tried to learn from it.
What are your expectations going into the new season?
My goal is to get more consistency and stability in my performance. That’s the biggest challenge, but I accept it and want to continue working on myself. The last few weeks have also given me a good feeling. Of course I don’t know whether it will be enough to get to the top, but I’m honest. But I do believe that if my setup is well coordinated, I can perform consistently.
What rankings do you think we are talking about then? How far forward can you go then?
My goal is to jump into the top ten as often as possible. If I could consistently jump around tenth place, that would be great to stabilize myself and gain self-confidence. I know: When I smell the fuse and notice that there is more that can be done, I am mentally strong and good and can then attack places further up the field.
What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming season?
Definitely the Four Hills Tournament and the World Championships in Trondheim. If you could choose where to perform at your best, then of course it would be these two events.
Geiger is sure: “You have to have me on the bill too!”
From the new season there will be some changes to the regulations regarding jumpsuits. The total number of jump suits permitted is limited to a maximum of ten per season; the FIS has again announced strict controls. Do the new suit regulations mean a major change or change for you?
It means certain restrictions, but above all I also see the opportunities. The regulations are the same for everyone, so hopefully it will bring more calm to the whole material issue. You don’t have much leeway when it comes to possible changes to your suit in one season, you should try to stick to one suit cut. If the suits are checked beforehand and everything fits, a lot has been done to ensure fairness.
It’s a new regulation, which always means a bit of hecticness and a certain amount of uncertainty at the beginning. We’ll see how this develops. But I do think it can be a good option.
Has anything else changed for you regarding the material?
I tested the skis a lot in the summer and am now jumping with a different version. It’s also about little things. The rest has actually stayed the same. We’re not quite at the final setup yet, but we’re getting there. Now let’s get started and then see where we stand.
Looking at your DSV team: What kind of mood and expectations did you notice in the German team before the start of the World Cup?
I think we have a cool and powerful team together. Some of us jump really, really well. Thanks to Adrian Tittel’s bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, we also have one more starting place this winter and can now start seven with him in the team. I think this is a great opportunity and a great privilege. It is always difficult to estimate what individual performance will be on site. But as of today, I think we’re doing pretty well.
Who do you think are the biggest favorites in the new World Cup season?
As I said, it’s always difficult to say. Marius Lindvig performed very well in the summer, and I also have Halvor Egner Granerud back on the bill. I think the two Norwegians will jump very well. Of course, Stefan Kraft and Ryoyu Kobayashi are always to be reckoned with. They are simply very good ski jumpers and will always be at the forefront. How dominant that will be remains to be seen.
So is there the potential for big surprises in ski jumping this winter too?
Yes, absolutely! You can never tell exactly in advance. There are a few athletes, if they have their things together, you have to have them on the bill. If everything comes together for me, you have to have me on the bill! But a little more has to happen before then. Every winter there are athletes who can cause big surprises – and I’m excited to see who it will be this year who can surprise! At the Summer Grand Prix in Courchevel, for example, the Frenchman Valentin Foubert jumped very well, including podium finishes. Everything is possible and I like to be surprised!
Source: www.sport.de
