Four Hill Tournement in Garmisch (01-01-2020)

Clicca qui per la versione italiana We arrive at the parking lots around 11.30 am: it waseasier than expected both to get to Garmisch, and to find parking. We get in line for the shuttle: one arrives, and given all the people there, we are afraid we won't be able to get on all, instead compared with Rome at rush hour we are very comfortable.

We enter the stadium shortly after 12 o'clock. We are in the parterre, which is more or less half full, but we manage to make our way and get quite close to the hill. The unnumbered grandstand is most full, the numbered one is almost empty, but will fill up in an hour. German flags dominate, then the largest group is the Poles, with large banners obstructing the view of the scoreboard. Then we see Japanese (also families with children) and Norwegians. Very few Austrians (considering that we are 20 km from Austria): I see some of them at the beginning, then they will be noticed only at the second jump of their best representative. There are no Finnish jumpers, but a Finnish flag is always there. You don't see Italian flags: there should have been mine, but I forgot it in the hotel.

At 12.30 we start with the trial jump. Both the name of the jumper and the result are only announced by the speaker, they do not appear on the scoreboard. Usually announcements are only in German, only some particularly good results from non-German-speaking athletes are announced in English. even when there are no banners of the Poles, it is difficult to look at the scoreboard because of the sun. The Italian makes a disastrous jump, perhaps the worst of all.

After the trial jump, I take a tour of the fan zone. The queue at the toilets is impressive, so much so that I fear I will stay there until the start of the race, instead it goes on quickly.

Instead, I give up taking to drink: all kiosks have long queues.

While waiting for the start of the race, we listen to music, especially traditional German, and we sing. Sometimes the speaker asks the attendance to finish sentences: he does not seem to take into consideration that someone may not understand German. By 2 pm, start time, the sun has disappeared behind the mountain and the cold begins to be felt, so much so that my family will decide to leave after the first run. However, nothing comparable to what I suffered in Lahti or, for other reasons, in Doha.

The Four Hills races are held with the "duels" formula: 25 matchups and the winners and the best 5 losers pass to the second run. We start with the challenges between mid-rankeds (n. 26-n. 25. 27-24) to finish with those between the best and the worst. Unlike usual, the best jumpers have the lowest numbers. Only two duels will be won by the jumper with the worst ranking: among them the one in which Lindvik of Norway will make the hill record with 143.5 meters: he will close the run in the lead and his opponent will be the best loser. When the Germans, who are 12, jump, they can hardly be seen across the forest of flags. I am influenced by the atmosphere and the performances of their two best, Eisenbichler and Geiger (the attendance up especially for the first) seem to me much better than they are. When the Italian, Federico Cecon jumps, the speaker reminds the successes of his father Roberto, but he is another thing: he will close 47th out of 49.

In the brake between the two runs, I begin to feel tired: I have been standing for three hours. The speaker reminds to cheer for the 5 Germans, but in reality he forgets one: they are 6. We start and first a forejumper, then the Norwegian Tande give the impression of risking to fall: Tande will arrive last, but safe. We get to the epilogue: Kobayashi, winner in Oberstdorf and fourth after the first run, shoots 141 meters and therefore seems on track to win again. It's Geiger's turn, and I miss him completely among the flags. However, I understand from the enthusiasm that he did well: 141.5 meters and he takes the lead. Kubicki of Poland does not overtake him: only Lindvik remains, jumping in silence "only" 136 meters, but enough for him. Norwegians aside, the stadium falls silent.

At the exit, given the crowd, I give up looking for a bus and decide to walk: it is just over 2 km, but it is a beautiful, scenic road