A quarter of the Ski Jump World Cup season is completed. In ten matches Slovenia has gathered 1,174 points, and is currently the fourth in the Nations Cup, behind Germany, Norway, and Austria. But, although they had never had such a good result, they are now entitled to six instead of seven competitors. Peter Prevc, Jernej Damjan, Matjaž Pungertar, Robi Kranjec, Nejc Dežman and Anže Lanišek are leaving for the scene of the first New Year's tour competition, Oberstdorf.

"We have a good team, and I am happy that so many boys are winning points. It is easier to compete when the jumps are so good," Goran Janus said for MMC, and commented on our opinion that only the icing on the cake is missing, meaning a victory: "It will happen, but I don't know when. The boys never tell me who of them will win, and when."
A rest will be good for Prevc
Peter Prevc is presently the fifth in the World Cup, less than one hundred points behind the leader Anders Fannemel. In the previous season he started the New Year's tour as the 16th competitor of the season. He was rather angry with himself after the matches in Engelberg last weekend. A Christmas rest will be good for him, Janus agrees: "Some of his jumps in Engelberg were worse than usually. What he needs now is primarily regeneration."
During the season a number of suits is used
The Slovenian team will train in Planica on Tuesday, with the exception of Jernej Damjan. "My trainer Simon Podreberšek and I made this decision. The hill is well prepared, but very icy, and a lot of boys have problems with it. I prefer to skip this training, and after all, it is only a 90 meter ski jumping hill," Damjan said. He predicts a tied tour:

"The best twenty ski jumpers of the season are really very close together in points. This year none of the competitors is standing out. I have the feeling that the yellow jersey will change hands." Damjan is understandably very satisfied with the season so far. He said his only bigger mistake was in Kuusam, where he was left without any points. Already in Engelberg he performed with a new suit. Why was it necessary to change it?
"Suits for ski jumping are not like those Alpine skiers have; ours get worn out very quickly. They are at their top level for only four to five weekends, and then their permeability increases. These are small details, but considering that such a suit can cause the loss of one percent of the length, it translates into two and a half metres in two jumps at a 120 metres hill – meaning you win the tenth place instead of standing on the podium."
Pungertar working also with his club trainer
Both Janus and Damjan refuse to name the favourites of the New Year's tour. The Slovenian »selector« agrees with Damjan that it will be a tied competition, and that there are a lot of favourites. Let us mention that it is not know yet whether Kamil Stoch from Poland will jump. The objective of the Slovenian team has been known even before the beginning of the season: one competitor among the first ten, and one among the first fifteen in general classification of the tour.

The list of candidates for the highest places was increased; Matjaž Pungertar is now considered one of them as well. "Already in Nizhny Tagil he surprised with good jumps. He made a beautiful jump also on Sunday in Engelberg. After a turbulent period when he was unable to continue his good performance from summer to winter, he finally found his way." What is Janus' opinion of the fact that Aleš Selak, Pungertar's club trainer, came to his aid? "I am always in favour of a dialogue, and I see no problem if anyone else is present during training. It was so in the B team, and it is so now."
Garmisch is their favourite
Robi Kranjec is waiting for the match in Oberstdorf in a good mood. He appeared at the New Year's tour already in the season of 2001/02, when Sven Hannawald won all the four matches, the only jumper to do so until now. "I feel good, my form is OK, my jumps are consistent, perhaps a few details are missing. I take one match at a time, I never had the goal of winning the tournament, as the only significant place is the first place, and only the first jumper gets the award."

Both Kranjec and Damjan are looking forward to the match in Garmisch. Kranjec: "The Olympic stadium, the biggest hill, the largest number of spectators. And the match takes place on January 1. The winner becomes the first winner of a big competition in the new year." Damjan emphasizes the privilege that this year ski jumpers will spend one more day in Garmisch, and that their partners will join them in the hotel. The cost of this "luxury" will be covered by the competitors themselves, but it means a lot to start a new year in the company of the loved ones.