Ski jumping: Can Raimund achieve the impossible?

Philipp Raimund is the king of summer ski jumping – but can he also defend the throne at the start of the winter Olympics?

If you look at history, an overall win at the Summer Grand Prix is ​​a good sign. Andreas Wellinger was the last German to achieve this twelve years ago. The following winter, the then teenager not only celebrated his first victory at the World Cup, but also became the Olympic champion in Sochi with the German team.

A track record that Raimund can definitely live up to after this winter. He is also still waiting for his first individual win at the World Cup and has yet to win a single medal at a major event. However, that will change with the season starting on Friday in Lillehammer, Norway. The 25-year-old has the confidence necessary to do this:

And he verbally added something more: He would only truly realize his summer success “when I win this thing in the winter too.”

Do the Austrians around Jan Hörl or the Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi tremble before him as his main rival? “I hope so,” said Raimund with a smile: “But they are not people who like to pick their noses either.” This man who was born in Göppingen has always had a big mouth, but recently his achievements have increased.

Last winter he reached the top podium for the first time with the German mixed team at the World Cup in Lake Placid. At the World Championships in Trondheim, Norway, he tasted a medal in the individual decision on the big hill, but in the end he “only” finished in fifth place.

As has often happened in recent years, when he was about to take a step towards the top of the world: he wanted too much in a decisive leap, got tense and fell behind. That’s why the motto this winter is “take it easy, stay relaxed, don’t overload yourself – then everything will work out better.”

Ski jumping is, above all, a matter of the mind, as national coach Stefan Horngacher, who will leave after this winter, has often said. The head coach has long believed that Raimund, who has strong jumping ability, will make a big breakthrough. Now may be the time as these Allgäu citizens finally bring more peace and harmony to the jump. He had worked hard on his flight and was considered one of the beneficiaries of the new suit rules.

The last ten overall winners at the Four Hills Tournament and the best German placement

But who really is Philipp Raimund who has been under the shadow of Wellinger or Karl Geiger? He comes from a family that loves ski jumping, initially being coached by his father and starting his career as a Nordic combined athlete. Cross-country skiing was too much for him, so he concentrated on ski jumping. Raimund’s nickname “Hille” also comes from this time – a name coined by his younger sister, who could not pronounce the name Philipp correctly.

“Hille” Raimund is someone who loves the big stage and the public. That may suit him well in the Four Hills Tournament, where Germany has been waiting for overall victory since Sven Hannawald’s victory 24 years ago. Can newcomers achieve the impossible? This is supported by the fact that Austrian ski jumping legend Toni Innauer predicted years ago that only a new German pilot unencumbered by past bankruptcies would be able to withstand the pressure.

Expectations are high heading into this winter, including for Philipp “Hille” Raimund himself. He wants to finally qualify for the Olympics for the first time, where ski jumping will take place in February 2026 at the new ski jump in Predazzo. Ideally with a golden happy ending like Andreas Wellinger’s.

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