Olympic bound ski jumpers seek wins in Willingen

Olympic Winter Games bound ski jumpers will have one final opportunity to perfect their preparations ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 when they seek moral boosting wins in Willingen (GER). 

The last stop of the World Cup tour before athletes travel to Italy will begin with a Mixed Team contest on Friday (30 January) before two individual women’s and men’s World Cups over the weekend (31 Jan and 1 February).

Strong fields are expected to line-up for the five events, with World Cup leaders Nika Prevc (SLO) and Domen Prevc (SLO) headlining the respective women’s and men’s contests. 

Last weekend in Oberstdorf (GER) Domen Prevc added the Ski Flying World title to his Large Hill gold, secured at Trondheim 2025 and he holds a 467-point advantage over nearest rival Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN) in the overall World Cup standings.

He will begin as a favorite for further success, but reigning Olympic champion Marius Lindvik (NOR) showed a timely return to form ahead of Milano Cortina 2026 by placing second in Oberstdorf.

The 27-year-old is yet to place on the World Cup podium this season and has only attained four individual top-three results across the previous three campaigns since Beijing 2022. 

“It bodes well for a particularly important period of the season,” says Norway sports director Jan-Erik Aalbu.

Host nation fans in Willingen will be able to cheer on 12 German ski jumpers across the three days of competition with the men’s line-up including their strongest performer on the World Cup tour so far this season, Philipp Raimund (GER).

"I'm incredibly excited for Willingen; it's simply one of the coolest competitions we have in Germany and there’s always a fantastic party atmosphere and a great vibe,” says Raimund.

“I'm extremely happy to be able to compete there – now that I've gotten a bit of a feel for flying at the Ski Flying World Championships, things could go really, really well in Willingen."

German Ski Jumping National Coach for Men, Stefan Horngacher, added that this is an important event to “get that last bit of fine-tuning before the Olympic Games.

 “The guys are highly motivated, and we're heading to Willingen with a good feeling."

On the women’s side of the sport success continued for Nika Prevc (SLO) in Sapporo last time out with the 20-year-old claiming two victories to make it eight wins out of the last 10 World Cup stops.

The best result she has attained to date in Willingen though is second, in 2024.

The Slovenian is aiming to attain what would be a landmark 19^th victory in different World Cup venues; she currently shares the record of 18 with Sara Takanashi (JPN).

German ski jumpers have attained 17 World Cup podium finishes during the 2025/26 season so far, but that total does not include any victories. 

Two-time Olympic silver medalist Katharina Schmid (GER), who has announced she will retire at the end of the season, was the last athlete from her nation to win a World Cup contest in early January last year.

While her recent form suggests that run is unlikely to end on her home hill, which is known by the name of ‘Mühlenkopfschanze’, she together with team-mates Selina Freitag and Agnes Reisch likely represent their nation’s best prospects.

"I'm really, really looking forward to Willingen, to my last home World Cup,” says Schmid. "I've always had and still have really good memories of Willingen, I love jumping there. 

“The atmosphere is always fantastic and I'm also happy to have another competition like this before the Olympic Games."

Freitag added; “I hope we have good weather, or rather, good wind and that we have a great atmosphere with lots of people there."

Reisch, who was fifth last season, continued; "I'm really looking forward to Willingen, there are tons of spectators and we have a Mixed Team competition, which is sure to be super exciting.

“Willingen is the biggest large hill, I jumped pretty well there last year and I think the hill suits me so let's hope for a few extra seconds in the air."

FIS SKI JUMPING WORLD CUP – WILLINGEN (GER) SCHEDULE

30.01.2026
11:00 – Training – Women’s LH
13:15 – Training – Men’s LH
16:10 – Competition Start – Mixed Team LH

31.01.2026
11:45 – Start Qualification – Men’s LH
13:15 – Competition Start – Women’s LH
16:00 – Competition Start – Men’s LH

01.02.2026
11:45 – Start Qualification – Men’s LH
13:15 – Competition Start – Women’s LH
16:00 – Competition Start – Men’s LH
All times listed in CET and are subject to change.