Andreas Wellinger (front) and Philipp Raimund missed a medal by 17 centimeters. © APA/afp / TOBIAS SCHWARZ

Germany reacts angrily after ski jumping event is cancelled: "Nobody understands it"

The premature cancellation of the last Olympic ski jumping competition in Italy angered Germany's ski jumpers.

February 17, 2026

From: cst/dpa

“I’m really, really angry because none of us understand it,” said Horst Hüttel, sports director of the German Ski Association (DSV), after Philipp Raimund and Andreas Wellinger’s disappointing fourth-place finish. They missed out on the top spot by less than 17 centimeters. Predazzo large ski jump Ultimately, this translates to bronze.

Weather apps indicated that the heavy snowfall, the main reason for the cancellation, would quickly subside. "And the FIS must have these weather apps too," said Hüttel, referring to the international governing body. "It was simply poor work, abysmally poor work." Hüttel explained: "The snow front arrived and was gone again in about 15 to 18 minutes." Indeed, the sudden snowfall did ease off quite quickly.

Heavy snowfall began in Predazzo. © ANSA / HANNIBAL HANSCHKE

The official emphasized that he wasn't concerned about narrowly missing out on a medal: "Four years ago in Beijing, we won bronze in the team event by half a point over Norway. Things can go the other way too. That's perfectly fine," he said. The margin back then was the equivalent of less than 50 centimeters. "But the way things are now, I simply find it unprofessional."

FIS race director defends himself against criticism

FIS Race Director Sandro Pertile defended the decision to cancel the race. "After the competition, it's easy to say we should have waited. But we had to make a decision," he said.

Sandro Pertile defended the cancellation. © APA / EXPA/ JFK

The 57-year-old, who comes from the Olympic town, also hinted that another factor besides the weather might have played a role. "We all know that we have limited TV time," he said.