Engelberg ‘excitement’ builds before Four Hills and Two Nights Tour
Dec 18, 2025·Ski Jumping)
The best ski jumpers on the planet will take in one final World Cup venue before Christmas, with Engelberg (SUI) the latest stop in what has already been a fascinating season to date.
The iconic Gross Titlis Large Hill, which was built in 1967 but has undergone renovations in 1983, 2000, 2006 and 2016, will host two men’s and two women’s World Cup contests between 19-21 December.
They will also present the final opportunity for Crystal Globe leaders Domen Prevc (SLO) and Nozomi Maruyama (JPN) to perfect their preparations for the prestigious Four Hills Tour (men) and Two Nights Tour (women) contests, which take place across late December and early January.
Reigning World champion Domen Prevc has won the last four World Cup events in a row and will likely again be a strong contender, having set the current hill record, of 144m, in 2016.
Japanese duo Ryoyu Kobayashi and Ren Nikaido both finished on the podium last time out in Germany, so will likely be in contention again, while Prevc’s team-mate Anze Lanisek (SLO) will be looking to return to the World Cup winning form he showed at the start of the season.
Hopes of host-nation podium success do not look particularly promising based on World Cup results so far this season, but Gregor Deschwanden (SUI) was able place in the top-three last season and will be aiming to recapture that kind of form back on a ‘home hill’.
The last Swiss ski jumper to win a World Cup event was legendary four-time Olympic champion Simon Ammann (SUI) who claimed back-to-back successes in November 2014.
The 44-year-old may not quite be the podium contender he once was, but he is still performing remarkably well for someone of his vintage and will be looking to build on an encouraging start to the season by taking another step towards competing at an eighth Winter Olympics in February.
Felix Hoffmann (GER) claimed the first World Cup top-three of his career in Lillehammer (NOR) during the opening weekend of the winter season and while he has yet to return to the podium he will take encouragement from previous performances at the Swiss venue.
"I'm looking forward to Engelberg, to the competitions, but also to the Christmas atmosphere in the town,” said Hoffman, who finished first and third at the venue in a FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup (COC) contest during the 204/25 campaign.
“The ski jump is a bit higher, so the feeling in the air is a little different, but I like the jump and the rhythm and I have fond memories of the successful COC competitions from last season."
In other German team news, two-time Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger (GER) will miss the Engelberg World Cup after recording results of 39th, 47th, 40th and 57th across his last four outings.
He will instead train in Four Hills venue Oberstdorf (GER), as well as Planica (SLO), with his place in the team for this weekend’s World Cup going to 21-year-old Ben Bayer (GER).
On the women’s side the battle for top-spot on the podium is expected to again be contested between World Cup leader Nozomi Maruyama (JPN) and reigning Crystal Globe champion Nika Prevc (SLO).
Between them they have won all but one of the women’s World Cup contests this season, with Anna Odine Stroem (NOR) the only other athlete to attain a race win, in Wisla (POL) at the beginning of the month.
They occupy the top three positions in the overall standings; Maruyama (670), Prevc (536) and Stroem (408). Prevc though admitted after her victory last weekend in Klingenthal (GER), that she “can’t wait for Engelberg” and with good reason.
The Slovenian star has claimed victories in each of the last two seasons from the Gross Titlis Hill and will be looking to narrow the nap to her Japanese rival at the top of the standings.
2024/25 Crystal Globe runner-up Selina Freitag (GER) has endured a challenging start to the current campaign but her form is improving and fourth in her home nation last time out suggests she is nearing peak performance once more.
"I definitely made good progress in Klingenthal and gained a bit more confidence,” said Freitag. “I hope I can take that with me to Engelberg where I'll try to continue attacking and show some good jumps."
Team-mate and seven-time World champion Katharina Schmid is currently tenth in the overall standings and searching for her first top-three result since the end of January.
"I'm looking forward to Engelberg and I'm curious to see how it goes because I've jumped really, really well on that hill before,” said Schmid, who placed second last season.
“In Klingenthal I showed that I can be at the front with good jumps and I hope I can continue like this and translate my good jumps into competition.”
FIS SKI JUMPING WORLD CUP – ENGELBERG (SUI) SCHEDULE:
19.12.2025
11:30 – Training (Women)
13:45 – Training (Men)
15:45 – Start Qualification – QUA Men’s LH
20.12.2025
12:00 – Start Qualification – QUA Women’s LH
13:00 – Competition Start – World Cup Women’s LH
15:00 – Start Trial Round – QUA Men’s LH
16:00 – Competition Start – World Cup Men’s LH
21.12.2025
10:15 – Start Qualification – QUA Women’s LH
11:30 – Competition Start – World Cup Women’s LH
14:30 – Start Qualification – QUA Men’s LH
16:00 – Competition Start – World Cup Men’s LH
All times listed in CET and are subject to change.
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