With the men’s 2021-2022 FIS Ski Jumping World Cup starting next month, now’s the perfect time to take a closer look at the main contenders vying for this season’s championship.
With his commanding victory during the 2020-2021 season, it should come as no surprise that Norway’s Halvor Egner Granerud is the favorite to replicate the feat.
Yet, with past champions and highly regarded contenders completing the field, there are numerous skiers with the chance to hold the trophy aloft when the season concludes in March.
Below are the four ski jumpers who are considered to have the best shot of going home with the trophy.
Halvor Egner Granerud: Even though he only enjoyed his first World Cup podium on Nov. 29, 2020, Granerud carried this momentum to be the outright winner of the 2020-2021 FSI Ski Jumping World Cup.
This was a remarkable rise for Granerud, who finished 61st overall the season previously and had never cracked the top-10 at any stage in the past.
Due to the sparkling form he displayed in winning his maiden Ski Jumping World Cup, where he finished almost 400 points clear of second-place after all 25 events, the Norwegian sensation – a former kindergarten assistant – is a strong favorite to win the Ski Jumping World Cup again at Betway.
Ryōyū Kobayashi: The 2018-2019 season was a record-breaking one for Kobayashi. Not only was he the first Japanese ski jumper to win the World Cup, but he did so by claiming every single title possible during the season.
He scooped the ski flying title, Willingen Five, Planica7, Raw Air, and Four Hills Tournament, along with the overall title. Regarding the latter, he also won each of the tournament’s four competitions – one of just three jumpers in history to do so.
While his form hasn’t reached those heights since, he has remained a consistent figure at the top of the standings. He came third in the 2019-2020 season, while he just missed out on a podium position last season by finishing fourth.
All evidence suggests Kobayashi will be in contention again for the crown.
Stefan Kraft: After being a runner-up in the 2018-2019 season, the following season saw Kraft claim his second World Cup championship.
Even though the 2020-2021 season saw an unusual drop in a form where he finished 17th overall, Kraft remains one of the most decorated athletes in contemporary ski jumping. Nobody would be surprised if the Austrian won his third Ski Jumping World Cup next year.
Markus Eisenbichler: Germany has two strong contenders for the World Cup this year.
While some are tipping the experienced Karl Geiger to win the championship, Eisenbichler is also viewed as a dark horse.
Eisenbichler was the runner-up last season. If he can get off to a strong start again – he won two gold medals and one silver in the season’s first three races – he could be in contention.
