Welcome return to podium for Matti Hautamäki

Garmisch Olympia Hill gets wet and windy send-off

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Sunday saw the second round of the traditional Four Hills ski-jumping tournament, always held at the turn of the year.
      It was also a farewell of sorts, as the venerable Olympia Hill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, built in 1950, will now be dismantled and replaced by a new structure.
      The hill did not get a particularly splendid send-off, despite the after-competition fireworks. In rainy and windy conditions, it was only possible to arrange one round of jumping before the competition jury called a halt to the proceedings and spared the drenched spectators as much as the wind-blown jumpers. This was by no means the first ski-jumping competition this season to have been affected by the unduly mild weather.
      Victory in the end went to Switzerland's Andreas Küttel with a leap of 125.5 metres, and second place on the podium was taken by Matti Hautamäki.
     
Hautamäki was one to benefit from the capricious conditions, and flew down the hill with a suitable head wind to buoy him up. It was a welcome return to the limelight for the four-time Olympic medallist, who has struggled with his form this season, even though he admitted he was somewhat fortunate on the day.
      Hautamäki pulled himself sharply upwards in the overall Four Hills standings after a disappointing 19th place in Oberstdorf's opener on Saturday.
      Arttu Lappi finished in 5th spot, following a 6th place in Oberstdorf, and inched his way upwards to 4th in the overall standings, behind the teenage whiz-kid from Austria, Gregor Schlierenzauer. The 16-year-old Schlierenzauer won the first event and was fourth on Monday. He also heads the FIS World Cup points standings for this season.
      Four-time tournament winner Janne Ahonen, who is the defending champion from 2006, could do no better than 16th, and was one of the many competitors to suffer from the wind. He is lying 7th overall.
      Matti Hautamäki is in 13th place as the jumpers move on to Innsbruck on Thursday. The final round of the tournament is held on the Bischofshofen hill in Germany on Sunday.


Links:
  FIS pages: Matti Hautamäki
  Four Hills Tournament (Wikipedia)

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