World Cup leader Karl Geiger gained a lot of self-confidence in qualifying for the opening competition of the 70th Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf.
The local hero landed in second place in changeable wind conditions with 127.5 m and on Wednesday (4.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Four Hills Tournament, in the ARD and Eurosport) can start the “Mission Tourneesieg” with a good feeling.
The six-time world champion Markus Eisenbichler (Siegsdorf) jumped the daily maximum distance of 132.0 meters and was sixth because of a bad landing.
Former world champion Severin Freund (Rastbüchl), who had secured a starting place through good performances in the Continental Cup, finished ninth with a jump of 126.0 meters.
Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger (Ruhpolding) experienced a bitter disappointment, who only came in at 108.0 meters and missed qualifying in 51st place.
A total of six DSV eagles qualified for the competition on the Schattenbergschanze.
Pius Paschke (Kiefersfelden) was 17th, Constantin Schmid (Oberaudorf) as 20th and Stephan Leyhe (Willingen) as 38th may also attack on Wednesday.
The Japanese top favorite Ryoyu Kobayashi (129.0 meters) won the qualifying effortlessly, while the Norwegians Halvor Egner Granerud and Johann Andre Forfang finished third.
The qualification was interrupted for a while after 15 out of 70 jumpers because the wind speeds of 13 meters per second were too high.
Unlike usual, no national group took part, the "second row" of the DSV-Adler will only start at the New Year's competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.