Overview
- Qualification in Oberstdorf is set for December 28 with the opening competition on December 29, carried live by ARD, ZDF and Eurosport.
- Slovenia’s Domen Prevc arrives as the standout after five wins in the last six World Cups and leads the overall; Ryoyu Kobayashi and several Austrians are cited as principal challengers.
- Germany fields an enlarged home lineup led by Philipp Raimund and Felix Hoffmann, using its National Group for Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
- Veterans Andreas Wellinger and Karl Geiger rejoin despite recent struggles, with Horngacher targeting a form reset and leaving selection for Innsbruck and Bischofshofen open.
- Germany’s 24-year wait since Sven Hannawald’s 2001/02 triumph frames expectations, as Hannawald and Toni Innauer discuss host-nation pressure and even float that Austria’s dip could be tactical.