Four Hills Tournament

Four Hills Tournament Vierschanzentournee
logotype
Status	active
Genre	sporting event
Date(s)	29/30 December–6 January
Frequency	annual
Country	Austria Germany
Inaugurated	1953 (1953)
Organised by	FIS

The Four Hills Tournament (German: Vierschanzentournee) or the German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week is a ski jumping event composed of four World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952. With a few exceptions the ski jumping events are held chronologically at Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen.

The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events. Unlike the World Cup ranking, however, the actual points scored during the competitions are the ones that are used to determine the winner. In 2005–06, Janne Ahonen and Jakub Janda shared the overall victory after finishing with exactly the same points total after the four competitions. 2001–02, the anniversary 50th edition, Sven Hannawald became the first to win all the four events in the same edition.

The four individual events themselves are part of the World Cup and award points toward the world cup in exactly the same manner as all other world cup events.

Tournament hills

Date	Image	Place	Hill name	K-Point	Hill size	Hill record
29 or 30 December		Oberstdorf, Germany	Schattenbergschanze	K-120	HS 137	143.5 m (2003) Sigurd Pettersen
1 January		Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Große Olympiaschanze	K-125	HS 140	143.5 m (2010) Simon Ammann
3 or 4 January		Innsbruck, Austria	Bergiselschanze	K-120	HS 130	138.0 m (2015) Michael Hayböck[1]
6 January		Bischofshofen, Austria	Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze	K-125	HS 140	143.0 m (2005) Daiki Ito

Traditionally, the order of the tournament competitions has been: Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck, Bischofshofen – with the following exceptions:

• 1952–53: Garmisch-Partenkirchen was the first, and Oberstdorf the second event.
• 1956–57, 1961–62, 1962–63: Innsbruck was the second event, and Garmisch-Partenkirchen third.
• 1971–72: Innsbruck was first, and Oberstdorf third.
• 2007–08: The Innsbruck event was cancelled due to bad weather, and replaced with an additional competition at Bischofshofen.

Knock-out system

One of the tournament's peculiarities is its qualifying system. Unlike other ski jumping events where the best 30 competitors in the first round qualify for the second round, all Four Hills events follow a knock-out system first introduced for the 1996–97 season.

The 50 competitors are divided into 25 pairs. All 25 winners of these duels plus the five best losers qualify for the second round. It is theoretically possible that a competitor who finishes the first round 12th will not qualify for the second round (if he loses his internal duel, five lucky losers and winners of their duels have better results) while the one with the 49th first series result may still qualify (if his "rival" has the worst result). On the other hand, jumpers are less likely to be disadvantaged by a possible significant change in weather conditions between the start and end of the first series. A change in the direction and speed of the wind can make it impossible for the best jumpers to produce a good result. In the event of significantly worse conditions during the second half of the first series, the possibility exists that most of the best jumpers would be eliminated by bad luck alone. Directly pairing rivals reduces the impact of these conditions. In this competition format the qualifying series are valued as well, since jumpers with a better qualification result will have the opportunity to compete against jumpers with worse result. Therefore, it is not enough for a jumper to be among 50 best jumpers in qualifications (with whatever result), but it is better for him to achieve a result as good as possible.

The first jumper in the competition is the one who qualified 26th, followed by his pair who qualified 25th. The next pair has 27th and 24th from the qualification, one after that 28th and 23rd etc. The last pair has last qualified jumper against qualification winner. However, top 10 of World Cup is given straight berth to the competition and therefore some of them may not take part in qualification. This could mean some strong pairings in the closing stages of the first round.

If qualification is postponed until the day of competition, the knock-out system is not used, and competition follows regular world cup rules. Because of that in the 2007/08 tournament, the knock-out system was used only in Oberstdorf.

List of winners

Year	Oberstdorf	Garmisch- Partenkirchen	Innsbruck	Bischofshofen	Overall victory
1952–53	Erling Kroken	Asgeir Dølplads	Sepp Bradl	Halvor Næs	Sepp Bradl
1953–54	Olav Bjørnstad	Olav Bjørnstad	Olav Bjørnstad	Sepp Bradl	Olav Bjørnstad
1954–55	Aulis Kallakorpi	Aulis Kallakorpi	Torbjørn Ruste	Torbjørn Ruste	Hemmo Silvennoinen
1955–56	Eino Kirjonen	Hemmo Silvennoinen	Koba Zakadze	Yuri Skorzov	Nikolay Kamenskiy
1956–57	Pentti Uotinen	Nikolay Kamenskiy	Nikolai Schamov	Eino Kirjonen	Pentti Uotinen
1957–58	Nikolai Kamenski	Willi Egger	Helmut Recknagel	Helmut Recknagel	Helmut Recknagel
1958–59	Helmut Recknagel	Helmut Recknagel	Helmut Recknagel	Walter Habersatter	Helmut Recknagel
1959–60	Max Bolkart	Max Bolkart	Max Bolkart	Albin Plank	Max Bolkart
1960–61	Juhani Kärkinen	Koba Zakadze	Kalevi Kärkinen	Helmut Recknagel	Helmut Recknagel
1961–62	Eino Kirjonen	Georg Thoma	Willi Egger	Willi Egger	Eino Kirjonen
1962–63	Toralf Engan	Toralf Engan	Toralf Engan	Torbjørn Yggeseth	Toralf Engan
1963–64	Torbjørn Yggeseth	Veikko Kankkonen	Veikko Kankkonen	Baldur Preiml	Veikko Kankkonen
1964–65	Torgeir Brandtzæg	Erkki Pukka	Torgeir Brandtzæg	Bjørn Wirkola	Torgeir Brandtzæg
1965–66	Veikko Kankkonen	Paavo Lukkariniemi	Dieter Neuendorf	Veikko Kankkonen	Veikko Kankkonen
1966–67	Dieter Neuendorf	Bjørn Wirkola	Bjørn Wirkola	Bjørn Wirkola	Bjørn Wirkola
1967–68	Dieter Neuendorf	Bjørn Wirkola	Gariy Napalkov	Jiří Raška	Bjørn Wirkola
1968–69	Bjørn Wirkola	Bjørn Wirkola	Bjørn Wirkola	Jiří Raška	Bjørn Wirkola
1969–70	Gariy Napalkov	Jiří Raška	Bjørn Wirkola	Jiří Raška	Horst Queck
1970–71	Ingolf Mork	Ingolf Mork	Zbyněk Hubač	Ingolf Mork	Jiří Raška
1971–72	Yukio Kasaya	Yukio Kasaya	Yukio Kasaya	Bjørn Wirkola	Ingolf Mork
1972–73	Rainer Schmidt	Rainer Schmidt	Sergei Botschkov	Rudolf Höhnl	Rainer Schmidt
1973–74	Hans-Georg Aschenbach	Walter Steiner	Hans-Georg Aschenbach	Bernd Eckstein	Hans-Georg Aschenbach
1974–75	Willi Pürstl	Karl Schnabl	Karl Schnabl	Karl Schnabl	Willi Pürstl
1975–76	Toni Innauer	Toni Innauer	Jochen Danneberg	Toni Innauer	Jochen Danneberg
1976–77	Toni Innauer	Jochen Danneberg	Henry Glaß	Walter Steiner	Jochen Danneberg
1977–78	Matthias Buse	Jochen Danneberg	Per Bergerud	Kari Ylianttila	Kari Ylianttila
1978–79	Yuri Ivanov	Josef Samek	Pentti Kokkonen	Pentti Kokkonen	Pentti Kokkonen
1979–80	Jochen Danneberg	Hubert Neuper	Hubert Neuper	Martin Weber	Hubert Neuper
1980–81	Hubert Neuper	Horst Bulau	Jari Puikkonen	Armin Kogler	Hubert Neuper
1981–82	Matti Nykänen	Roger Ruud	Manfred Deckert Per Bergerud	Hubert Neuper	Manfred Deckert
1982–83	Horst Bulau	Armin Kogler	Matti Nykänen	Jens Weißflog	Matti Nykänen
1983–84	Klaus Ostwald	Jens Weißflog	Jens Weißflog	Jens Weißflog	Jens Weißflog
1984–85	Ernst Vettori	Jens Weißflog	Matti Nykänen	Hroar Stjernen	Jens Weißflog
1985–86	Pekka Suorsa	Pavel Ploc	Jari Puikkonen	Ernst Vettori	Ernst Vettori
1986–87	Vegard Opaas	Andreas Bauer	Primož Ulaga	Tuomo Ylipulli	Ernst Vettori
1987–88	Pavel Ploc	Matti Nykänen	Matti Nykänen	Matti Nykänen	Matti Nykänen
1988–89	Dieter Thoma	Matti Nykänen	Jan Boklöv	Mike Holland	Risto Laakkonen
1989–90	Dieter Thoma	Jens Weißflog	Ari-Pekka Nikkola	František Jež	Dieter Thoma
1990–91	Jens Weißflog	Jens Weißflog	Ari-Pekka Nikkola	Andreas Felder	Jens Weißflog
1991–92	Toni Nieminen	Andreas Felder	Toni Nieminen	Toni Nieminen	Toni Nieminen
1992–93	Christof Duffner	Noriaki Kasai	Andreas Goldberger	Andreas Goldberger	Andreas Goldberger
1993–94	Jens Weißflog	Espen Bredesen	Andreas Goldberger	Espen Bredesen	Espen Bredesen
1994–95	R. Schwarzenberger	Janne Ahonen	Kazuyoshi Funaki	Andreas Goldberger	Andreas Goldberger
1995–96	Mika Laitinen	R. Schwarzenberger	Andreas Goldberger	Jens Weißflog	Jens Weißflog
1996–97	Dieter Thoma	Primož Peterka	Kazuyoshi Funaki	Dieter Thoma	Primož Peterka
1997–98	Kazuyoshi Funaki	Kazuyoshi Funaki	Kazuyoshi Funaki	Sven Hannawald	Kazuyoshi Funaki
1998–99	Martin Schmitt	Martin Schmitt	Noriaki Kasai	Andreas Widhölzl	Janne Ahonen
1999–00	Martin Schmitt	Andreas Widhölzl	Andreas Widhölzl	Andreas Widhölzl	Andreas Widhölzl
2000–01	Martin Schmitt	Noriaki Kasai	Adam Małysz	Adam Małysz	Adam Małysz
2001–02	Sven Hannawald	Sven Hannawald	Sven Hannawald	Sven Hannawald	Sven Hannawald *
2002–03	Sven Hannawald	Primož Peterka	Janne Ahonen	Bjørn Einar Romøren	Janne Ahonen
2003–04	Sigurd Pettersen	Sigurd Pettersen	Peter Žonta	Sigurd Pettersen	Sigurd Pettersen
2004–05	Janne Ahonen	Janne Ahonen	Janne Ahonen	Martin Höllwarth	Janne Ahonen
2005–06	Janne Ahonen	Jakub Janda	Lars Bystøl	Janne Ahonen	Janne Ahonen Jakub Janda
2006–07	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Andreas Küttel	Anders Jacobsen	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Anders Jacobsen
2007–08	Thomas Morgenstern	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Janne Ahonen	Janne Ahonen	Janne Ahonen
2008–09	Simon Ammann	Wolfgang Loitzl	Wolfgang Loitzl	Wolfgang Loitzl	Wolfgang Loitzl
2009–10	Andreas Kofler	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Thomas Morgenstern	Andreas Kofler
2010–11	Thomas Morgenstern	Simon Ammann	Thomas Morgenstern	Tom Hilde	Thomas Morgenstern
2011–12	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Andreas Kofler	Thomas Morgenstern	Gregor Schlierenzauer
2012–13	Anders Jacobsen	Anders Jacobsen	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Gregor Schlierenzauer	Gregor Schlierenzauer
2013–14	Simon Ammann	Thomas Diethart	Anssi Koivuranta	Thomas Diethart	Thomas Diethart
2014–15	Stefan Kraft	Anders Jacobsen	Richard Freitag	Michael Hayboeck	Stefan Kraft
2015–16	Severin Freund	Peter Prevc	Peter Prevc	Peter Prevc	Peter Prevc

Records

Janne Ahonen is the only ski jumper to have won the tournament five times, with wins in 1998–99, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06 and 2007–08. Jens Weißflog was the first ski jumper to reach four wins, winning the tournament in 1984, 1985, 1991 and 1996. Helmut Recknagel and Bjørn Wirkola have the next best record, winning three titles each. Wirkola's victories came in three consecutive years (1967–1969), a record still uncontested.

Janne Ahonen's fourth victory in 2005–06 was also the first time the tournament victory was shared, with Jakub Janda, who claimed his first 4 Hills Tournament crown.

Jens Weißflog and Bjørn Wirkola have both won ten Four Hills Tournament events. Janne Ahonen and Gregor Schlierenzauer are next with 9 victories, followed by Matti Nykänen who has seven.

In 2000–01, the 49th edition of the tournament, Adam Małysz beat second placed Janne Ahonen by 104.4 points. This is the biggest winning margin in the tournament's history. He also won all four qualifications that year. The following year Sven Hannawald became the first and so far only person to win all four competitions in a single season.

Germany has the most victories with sixteen (eleven of which were pre-1989). Next comes Finland with 15 victories, then Austria with 14 victories and Norway with ten wins. Czechoslovakia and one of its successors the Czech Republic have two wins altogether, as has Slovenia; the following countries all have a single victory: Japan, Poland and the USSR.

National quota

During the Four Hills Tournament many national jumpers from Germany and Austria are allowed to qualify for the competition. This allows them to show themselves and get experience. The national jumping team starts first in the qualification.

Notable participants

In 1965, the Polish old-boy jumper, Stanisław Marusarz (silver medal in World Championship, 1938 in Lahti) who was visiting the tournament, asked the jury in Garmisch-Patenkirchen to allow him a showcase jump. After a long debate, the jury agreed. Marusarz, who at this time was 53 years old (and not practicing jumping for 9 years) achieved 66 meters, using borrowed skies and boots and making his try in official suit (in which he attended the New Years Party), which made the crowd applaud.^[2]

See also

• Nordic Tournament

References

External links

Media related to Four Hills Tournament at Wikimedia Commons

• http://vierschanzentournee.com (German)
• http://www.home.no/hanslysaker/hopukvin.htm

Four Hills Tournament Hosts Oberstdorf Garmisch-Partenkirchen Innsbruck Bischofshofen Hills Schattenbergschanze Große Olympiaschanze Bergiselschanze Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze Tournaments 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 Winners List of winners