For the 22nd and 23rd time, Willingen hosts an individual World Cup event. For the first time since 2003, Willingen will host two World Cup events in one weekend.
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Willingen is the last halt on the schedule before the jumpers take off for the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
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The first ever individual World Cup at Willingen was won by Andreas Goldberger (AUT) in 1994/95. Noriaki Kasai (JPN) has the most total wins – three (twice in 1999, once in 2003). > Gregor Schlierenzauer (AUT) can join Kasai on three. Besides Kasai and Schlierenzauer, Sven Hannawald (GER), Andreas Widhölzl (AUT) and Janne Ahonen (FIN) have multiple victories at Willingen (2 each).
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Last year, Anders Bardal (NOR) claimed victory at Willingen, leaving Roman Koudelka (CZE – silver) and Daiki Ito (JPN – bronze) behind.
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The last German winner at Willingen has been Severin Freund (GER) in 2011.
Competitors keep sharing wins in World Cup
events this season
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Last Sunday at Sapporo, Jernej Damjan (SLO) became the 14th different individual World Cup event winner of the season, the most since 2002/03 (also 14).
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Only in the inaugural World Cup season 1979/80 (16, record) there have been more different individual winners.
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There have been individual World Cup event winners from eight countries this season, the most since 1986/87 (also 8).
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The individual World Cup season record of countries winning one or more events is nine (1983/84). The 1979/80 season also saw eight.
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No jumper has won more than two individual events this season. In all 33 previous World Cup seasons, there has been at least one jumper with 3+ wins. Peter Prevc (SLO), Thomas Diethart (AUT), Kamil Stoch (POL) and Gregor Schlierenzauer (AUT) are the only ones with two at the moment.
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Damjan can become the first jumper winning consecutive
individual World Cup events on the large hill in
2013/14 (Schlierenzauer won back-to-back at Kuusamo
and Lillehammer, the latter on the normal hill).
Last jumper with back-to-back large hill victories
– Stoch (Kuopio/Trondheim, March 2013).
Slovenia flying high in individual and team World Cup
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At Sapporo’s two World Cup events last weekend, Slovenia claimed five of the available six podium spots, only missing out on Saturday’s bronze.
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On Sunday, Slovenia completed their first 1-2-3 in World Cup history.
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Slovenia now have three individual World Cup victories in 2013/14, as many as last season. Only in 1997/98 (4) and 1996/97 (7) more events saw a victorious Slovenian jumper.
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No Slovenian has ever won an individual World Cup at Willingen. Three have reached the podium – Damjan (bronze in 2007, silver in 2008), Robert Kranjec (bronze in 2003) and Primoz Peterka (bronze in 1997).
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Slovenia now have 11 podium finishes in 2013/14 (G3-S5-B3). Only in 1996/97 more – 14 (last season also 11).
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Prevc claimed seven of these 11 podium finishes. Only Peterka achieved more as a Slovenian in a single season – 10 in 1997/98 (G4-S5-B1) and 14 in 1996/97 (G7-S3-B4).
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Besides this individual success, Slovenia also celebrated victories in both of the team events so far this season.
Schlierenzauer needs one more win to surpass Nykänen
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Schlierenzauer won two individual World Cup events early in the season, at Kuusamo and Lillehammer.
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If Schlierenzauer wins at Willingen, it will be his third victory of the season. He can set a new World Cup record by winning at least three individual World Cup events in eight different seasons. So far, he has done this every season since 2006/07.
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Schlierenzauer currently shares the record of seven seasons with three or more individual World Cup victories with Nykänen, who did it every season from 1981/82 to 1987/88.
