One thought it was "awesome", the other "sucks".

These were drastic words that could be heard on the first day of the new year at the foot of the Gudiberg.

Clear words that aptly described the moods of the two best German ski jumpers.

Here the blissful Markus Eisenbichler, there the deeply saddened Karl Geiger.

Eisenbichler was the one who caused great moments in the German team at the New Year's jump of the Four Hills Tournament.

If the Bavarian emotional jumper did not get past seventh place at the start in Oberstdorf, he went up steeply at the second station in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Ralf Weitbrecht

Sports editor.

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Second after a famous competition on the Great Olympic Hill - only Ryoyu Kobayashi, who once again dominated and apparently jumped in other spheres, was unbeatable on New Year's Day. It was Eisenbichler who jumped further than the Japanese and delighted with two jumps on 141 and 143.5 meters. But as so often, Kobayashi received better marks for his better landing.

Eisenbichler, who stayed just fifty centimeters below the hill record set by Pole Dawid Kubacki last year, had no chance of telemarking on his second flight.

"I made a mug," said the runner-up at the end of his long interview marathon, when volunteers were already busy dismantling the advertising boards in the ski jumping hill.

No question: Eisenbichler was "very satisfied" with his two strong jumps into the new year.

"I enjoyed it in the air."

Eisenbichler is 0.2 points short

His friend and specialty Karl Geiger is completely different.

Having entered the competition with high hopes and ambitions, the Oberstdorf resident was unlucky twice.

Wind and weather were not what Geiger and national coach Stefan Horngacher had imagined at the moment when Geiger had to get into the inrun.

With jumps on 130 and 127.5 meters, the fifth placed in the opening competition had no chance.

Kobayashi achieved widths of 143 and 135.5 meters, at the end of a highly exciting competition he had a wafer-thin lead of 0.2 points over Eisenbichler (291.2 to 291.0) and thus increased the lead over Geiger, who was seventh with 265 points was, and the rest of the watching ski jumping elite.

The overall ranking is led by Kobayashi, who has so far twice been victorious and has not shown himself naked, with 593.2 points ahead of Norwegian Marius Lindvik (580.0) and the Slovenian surprise third from Garmisch, Lovro Kos (575.5).

Thanks to his second place in the anniversary edition of 100 years of New Year's ski jumping in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Eisenbichler jumped from seven to four.

With 572.1 points, the aviator still has every opportunity to get into the top three.

And violinist?

At the New Year he verbally let out all frustration.

"I'm pissed off," he said.

“I don't know exactly what it was.

The conditions alone weren't enough.

The jumps weren't that bad, but they should have been better. "

When asked about his dwindling chances of still being able to intervene sustainably in the fight for the Golden Eagle, the severely disappointed violinist said with relentless frankness: "For me, the whole thing went well in terms of the overall rating - there has to be a wild bird competition now.

If everything goes normally, I can no longer manage it. "

National coach Horngacher weighed it down and said that the decision would only be made in Bischofshofen and promised: “We will not give up.” But Geiger's 32.2 point deficit after two competitions on Kobayashi is a huge option.

“That's just the tour,” said the Allgäu violinist in Werdenfelser Land.

"She has her own rules."

And two more competitions, in which Eisenbichler, Geiger and the rest of the German team around Stephan Leyhe (10th), Constantin Schmid (20th), Andreas Wellinger (22nd), Severin Freund (28th) and the one after the knockout -Duell Pius Paschke (31st) who left the team want to show what they can do.

On New Year's Day, the emotional jumper Eisenbichler in particular showed what achievements and emotions he is capable of.

Immediately after landing his final jump to 143.5 meters, he knew that he had achieved something special - and to a sign of great satisfaction he held up his arm and forefinger and shouted a clearly audible “Yes”.

Yes, Eisenbichler is back.