Completion of a large career: “Eisei” shows his class again in Planica.
As the final jumper, the six-time world champion secured second place in the team competition behind Austria in his last competition in the pouring rain and said goodbye with a highlight after almost 14 World Cup years.
Markus Eisenbichler flew to the podium to say goodbye
Germany with Eisenbichler in second place
The very experienced DSV team with Eisenbichler (33 years/223.5+223.5 m), Pius Paschke (34/215.5+215.5), Karl Geiger (32/228.5+226.0) and Andreas Wellinger (29/226.5+227.0) after eight jumps with 1720.2 points was around 24 meters behind the Austrians with World Cup winner Tschofenig (1749.3). Third was Slovenia (1707.2) with ski flight World Cup winner Domen Prevc.
For the German team it was the first World Cup podium for team flying in four years. In March 2021, the DSV eagles won almost the same line-up in Planica, at that time Constantin Schmid was used instead of Wellinger.
Record springer Eisenbichler says goodbye
Eisenbichler, who had achieved the German record width of 248.0 m in Planica 2017 and 2019, had not passed 28th place after a failed second round on Friday.
With this he had just missed the qualification for the final competition of the 30 in the World Cup – and was still represented in Planica – Springer on Sunday. Norway’s top athletes are no longer at the start after the WM’s suit scandal in Trondheim.