Last year Adrian Tittel followed the Four Hills Tournament as a television viewer. But now he is part of the select group of the world’s best ski jumpers who will take part in the first big highlight of the season. The German youngster reveals in an exclusive interview to sport.de how he got there, what the tour means to him and what he has planned.
Adrian Tittel has been able to call himself a World Cup athlete for five weeks. But unlike many before him, his path to the elite class of ski jumping did not lead via the second-class Continental Cup in a national group or by getting a starting place there, but through the Junior World Championships.
When the now 20-year-old jumped to bronze in Planica in February and thus his greatest success, he didn’t yet know that this result would be worth more than a medal. It was only in the spring that the World Ski Association FIS decided to give those nations whose athletes won a medal a World Cup starting place.
This is exactly what the SG Nickelhütte Aue jumper has had since the start of winter and can therefore take part in the Four Hills Tournament for the first time from December 28th. In an exclusive interview with sport.de The German youngster reveals how the season has gone for him so far, what the tour means to him and what he has planned.
The Christmas break is particularly short for a ski jumper this year if, like you, he is allowed to go to the Four Hills Tournament. How did you spend the holidays?
Adrian Title: That’s true, but the break is still good after the last few weeks. I was able to recover quite well. The events on these three days were the same as always, as a family we have fixed rituals that are the same every year.
How do you look back on the tour dress rehearsal in Engelberg with places 49 and 41?
Compared to the previous stops, Engelberg was definitely a more difficult weekend. On the one hand with the weather, there was everything between snow, rain and wind. But I have also noticed that the last few weeks have not left me unscathed. I was a little worn out and my legs felt a little empty. As a result, my jumps were not at the highest level. But the fact that I qualified twice shows me that in principle it still works. I’m quite happy with individual jumps and it happens that things don’t work out in the competition. But the good thing is that we have a lot of competitions and I can show what I’m capable of again next weekend.
You have never jumped the ski jump in Engelberg before. How do you prepare for your first jumps on an unfamiliar facility?
I’ve had this situation almost every week over the course of the season. But that doesn’t bother me at all. I actually really like exploring new jumps. You basically approach it with an open mind and don’t say ‘I don’t like it’ or ‘I think it’s really good’. Basically, I only need one or two training jumps and then I have internalized the facilities. I’ll get in there quickly. And with the exception of Wisła, this has been the case this winter so far.
So you personally don’t need an in-depth analysis with videos?
Not really, no. But my teammates also tell me beforehand what to pay attention to. And once you have made your first training jump, you will become aware of exactly that and understand how the jump works.
Ski jumper Tittel: “I have to stick to my guns”
In purely calendar terms, you have now completed the first World Cup period in your career. What is your first interim conclusion?
Overall I am satisfied. I wouldn’t have thought before that I would get the points at the first World Cup. Looking back now, this is exactly what increased my expectations of myself. If you score points in your first competition, you naturally want to do the same in every subsequent one. I have to be careful that I don’t become too ambitious and don’t get buried if I don’t score any points. My trainers always tell me to stick to my guns and just ski jump. The rest will happen then.
What were the most beautiful and most difficult moments for you so far?
The most difficult was definitely the Sunday morning in Engelberg, where I briefly asked myself how it was supposed to work. But 30th place in the qualifying was quite decent. It’s only human that you don’t always get it into the competition. The highlight so far was definitely the home World Cup Titisee-Neustadt. That was a very cool experience with the many fans at the ski jump. And now I’m excited to see what happens at the Four Hills Tournament.
Let’s talk about this big first highlight of the season and, for you, the biggest event of your young career. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the tour?
Very, very much. It’s one of those events that every ski jumper wants to win. For me it’s on a par with the World Championships and the Olympic Games. What’s special, of course, is the knockout mode, which I’ve only seen on television so far. In front of the TV I always found him to be a pleasant relief, which is why I’m even more excited to see what he’ll be like as a jumper. And I would be happy if a German won again.
You’re probably speaking from the hearts of a lot of fans. Was the tour as formative for you as a child as it was for many of your fellow musicians?
Absolutely! As a child I always watched it with my parents and said, ‘Cool, I want to jump there too’.
And how does it feel to you that you can now say that you are there yourself?
Personally, I still don’t really realize it (laughs). But my parents still have this image of me as a little boy very present and think it’s really great that I can be there now and they will also be excited about the ski jump in Oberstdorf. For me, jumping on skis is my daily bread and whether it’s in the World Cup or somewhere else, I don’t really care. Of course you think about it too much, but if you do it too often you build up too much nervousness.
For many, something like the last German tour victory or the Grand Slam is the ultimate tour memory. You weren’t even born in 2002. What are your personal tour memories?
Andreas Wellinger’s opening win in Oberstdorf last year is still very fresh in my mind. You thought ‘Man, now it could be something’ and then it was a shame that it didn’t happen. I still remember Kamil Stoch’s Grand Slam and Ryoyu Kobayashi’s Grand Slam well, although it has of course lost some of its value because three jumpers have already achieved it. But there is no doubt that a tour victory is something that many ski jumpers want to achieve.
If our research is correct, you have only competed on the tour ski jumps in Oberstdorf and Innsbruck. How familiar are you with the systems?
Yes, that’s right. In Innsbruck last season we had a Continental Cup (second highest class in ski jumping, editor’s note). The competitions in Oberstdorf were a long time ago; back then it was an Alpine Cup (junior series, editor’s note), but we jumped very often in both places in the summer, as well as in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. I have jumped in Bischofshofen twice so far, so at least the jump is not completely new territory for me.
And how do these four very different ski jumps suit you?
I definitely had the most fun so far in Innsbruck. Garmisch-Partenkirchen was also quite good for me this summer. I’ve jumped in Oberstdorf so many times, but I haven’t yet seen a full stadium. So far I’ve only jumped in Bischofshofen in the summer, so I’m still going to find out how I like this long, flat approach in the winter.
Tour debutant: Reaching the knockout stages “would be wonderful”
You’re still just getting to know these crowded stadiums. What does it do to you when the outlet is full of fans?
To be honest, I was a bit nervous in Titisee-Neustadt, at least in the qualifying jump on Saturday. It’s still a bit unusual when you see this sea of German flags and this crowd that wants you to jump way down. But I try to stick to myself and so far I’ve always managed quite well so that I can always go a little further in competition. I would say I need a bit of pressure and competitive excitement.
When you listen to you, it still comes through that you’re not just speaking as a ski jumper, but also as a ski jumping fan. Is this impression misleading?
I’m fully involved and try to push the others too. Although I am an athlete, I am also a ski jumping fan, and that hasn’t changed since I was a child.
Then let’s ask the ski jumping fan in you about your tour favorites. Over the course of the season so far, your teammates and the Austrians have fought out the victories among themselves. Are they also the first contenders for the Golden Eagle?
That’s really difficult to say. Somehow the tour has its own rules, just like the DFB Cup in football (laughs). Last year Ryoyu Kobayashi surprised us too. He came from the background and then won it without winning the day. I would really like that for Pius Paschke, he definitely deserves it. The three Austrians who are currently at the forefront (Daniel Tschofenig, Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft, editor’s note) and Gregor Deschwanden from Switzerland should of course not be forgotten either. I’m really excited to see who will do it.
What are your personal expectations and goals for the tour?
I just want to ski well, like I did at the beginning of the season. Getting through the qualifications and making it to the knockout stage would be wonderful. I will try to give it my all and whatever will happen will happen. Of course I could stand here and say ‘I want to win the tour’, that wouldn’t be a lie. But I know that’s not realistic, so I try to keep expectations low.
The interview was conducted by Luis Holuch
Source: www.sport.de
