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Selina Freitag (right) was not handsomely rewarded after her victory in qualifying.
Keystone
The ski jumpers had imagined things differently. In Garmisch, they reach less than a third of the number of spectators at the men's qualification. The schedule doesn't look particularly mature yet.
Sven Hannawald seemed rather irritated. When the German ski jumping legend heard about the almost humiliating women's bonus at the first qualification for the Two Nights Tour, he tried to make a joke.
"You almost have to see what you can get for it on Ebay. It's bitter," said the 50-year-old Hannawald. Selina Freitag had previously said that she didn't get 3,000 Swiss francs for her qualifying victory in Garmisch-Partenkirchen like the men - but shower cream, shampoo and four towels.
The small gift was somewhat reminiscent of 1989, when Germany's female footballers were given a coffee set for winning the European Championship title. It was also symbolic of the second edition of the new mini-tour, which is soon to become a four-hill tour for women. From Oberstdorf to Bischofshofen: after 73 editions of the prestigious men's tour, the women finally want their equal rights.
However, the Two Nights Tour was not really an advertisement for this. This was due neither to the sporting level nor the difference in prize money - but rather to public interest. Despite the live broadcasts on ARD and Eurosport, the newly created event at the turn of the year received little media attention. And the number of spectators in the huge stadiums lags far behind that of the men.
This was particularly evident on New Year's Eve. 10,000 fans watched Gregor Deschwanden and his team qualify in the afternoon. Just over an hour later, there were only 3,000 fans for the women's event. "There were still a few spectators left. We'll take what we can get," said Freitag.
Freitag finished fourth in the overall standings of the Two Nights Tour. The Slovenian Nika Prevc won both jumps with ease. The crowd of 3200 fans in the Allgäu was only slightly bigger than the day before.
On New Year's Eve, the organizers had used loudspeaker announcements and a happy hour to encourage spectators not to leave prematurely after the men's qualifying round. The longer break after qualifying proved to be problematic - especially in view of the cold when the sun had disappeared. "We will hopefully try to tighten up the overall product even more," said sports director Horst Hüttel.
Hannawald, who is generally a big supporter of a tour for women, was particularly annoyed about the lack of appreciation, which became apparent after the qualification in the form of the prize money substitute.
"Of course that's not worthy of a Two Nights Tour. I don't know why something like this is allowed," said the last German tour winner to date on ARD. National coach Heinz Kuttin also demanded: "A step would be necessary when it comes to money."
For Katharina Schmid, Germany's best and most successful female jumper, the introduction of a tour, which has been announced for years, is gradually becoming a race against time. "I'm 28 now, I got married last year and I've already decided that I want to plan a family when I retire," said the athlete from Oberstdorf.
"I'll also discuss it with my husband after the season." Schmid, formerly Althaus, has been one of the most outspoken advocates of equal rights on the world's ski jumps for years. The pictures of the many empty stands on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day must not have pleased her.
02.01.2025, 08:53
02.01.2025, 09:00
