Women in ski jumping: When is your own Four Hills Tournament coming?

Women in ski jumping: When is your own Four Hills Tournament coming?

The discussion about equality in ski jumping continues to gain momentum. While the women continue to wait for their own Four Hills Tournament, there is great anticipation for the “Two Nights Tour” in early 2024. The events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Oberstdorf are seen as an important step towards equality. There the best female ski jumpers in the world will compete against each other to face the male competition.

The “Two Nights Tour” takes the ladies to two traditional ski jumping locations that have been a place of pilgrimage for fans for decades. However, “real” Four Hills Tournaments, in which the women jump in the same cities and under the same conditions as the men, are still on the athletes’ wish list. In a conversation, Ralph Eder, press spokesman for the German Ski Association (DSV), made it clear that this has an important influence on the marketing and visibility of women's ski jumping.

Planned progress in ski jumping

The requirements for a separate women's Four Hills Tournament have not yet been fully implemented. Fis race director Sandro Pertile spoke at a past event about the possibility of the women competing on the men's qualifying day. However, he noted that various logistical and technical aspects need to be clarified. Eder mentioned a possible time frame of three to five years to create the necessary conditions, such as installing floodlights.

A major obstacle so far has been the lack of floodlights in Innsbruck, the last of the four facilities that is not yet equipped for night-time competitions. Mario Stecher, sports director of ski jumpers in the Austrian Ski Association (ÖSV), said work on the floodlights should begin in 2026, raising some hopes for the upcoming tours.

The Four Hills Tournament, which has become one of the most important events in winter sports since it was first held in 1953, could take place for the 73rd time in the 2024/25 season. The DSV is pushing for women to also jump in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen to ensure real equality. “Just like men” – that is the declared goal of the female athletes, who have long been performing at the same level as their male colleagues.

It remains to be seen how preparations for the future tour will progress and whether the time frame for the floodlight installation can be adhered to. The desire for equality in ski jumping could soon become the focus of public attention. This topic inevitably leads to questions such as the future of female ski jumping at such high-profile events: www.gmx.at reports about it.

However, the central concern remains clear: for the many talented ski jumpers, the wait for their own tour is frustrating, while the anticipation of competitions at the traditional locations is growing. One thing is certain: the athletes will continue to fight for equality in ski jumping, with the hope of soon being part of this celebrated event.