The 4-Hills-Tournament without spectators in Oberstdorf
For the first time in its 68-year history, the traditional 4-Hills-Tournament will be played with empty stands. The organizing committee for the opening event in Oberstdorf announced on Monday, that he cannot continue the party with 2500 spectators per day for the event 28 i 29 of December.
“It really hurts, but now we have to pull the plug with a heavy heart and plan without spectators. It hurts even more, that together with the German Ski Association and the local sanitary authorities we have developed a good anti-covid system and we were optimistic until the very end ”, explains Dr. Peter Kruijer, president of the ski club in Oberstdorf and chairman of the organizing committee.
After the introduction of recently tightened restrictions in Bavaria, including banning spectators at professional sporting events to at least 20 of December, the organizing committee had no chance. “Given the persistently high infection rate in Bavaria and the recent government decisions, we just have to put it on, that these restrictions will continue to apply after Christmas. Therefore, we lack the reliability of planning and the basis for an event with viewers, Pity, because we, as the organizing committee, we did everything, what we can, to hold the opening event with a limited number of spectators in the stands", said Florian Stern, general manager" Skisport- and Veranstaltungs GmbH ”and the general secretary opening the event in Oberstdorf.
The demand for tickets was huge and all z 2500 of available tickets for the competition were sold out within an hour, already sold approx 2000 qualifying tickets. As promised, ticket holders will now receive a refund. “This is done automatically through the ticketing agencies. We ask ski jumping fans to be patient.", Stern said.
The other three hosts of the 4-Hills-Tournament, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck i Bischofshofen, announced a few weeks ago, that they plan events without spectators.