Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (dpa) – Germany’s Karl Geiger tops the World Cup overall standings heading into the four-event mini-tournament.

“I think the ski-jumping god is now slowly realizing that it’s about time that a German was at the top again,” the 47-year-old told dpa on Wednesday before the start of the tournament on December 29 in the Bavarian town of Oberstdorf.

Hannawald won the Four Hills in 2002 and wants another German winner 20 years on.

“I hope so in the anniversary year. That always sounds nice, it’s great for the media, you can always create a nice story. For the person who achieves it, of course, it’s also nice too.”

But Hannawald, who suffered a burn-out towards the end of his career, has told jumpers not to push themselves too far.

“If someone notices that it’s too much, then you just have to say that it’s too much and not try to somehow swim along and hope it will go away,” he said, looking back on his career, which ended in 2005.

“I thought I just had to keep going and stay at the top of the world. I definitely wouldn’t do it that way today.”

Hannawald now works as a TV expert.

“I am also happy to be back on the hill,” he said.

After Oberstdorf, the Four Hills moves on to Garmisch-Partenkirchen on January 1. No fans will be allowed because of the coronavirus situation. The tournament the heads to Austria with jumps in Inssbruck on January 4 and Bischofshofen on January 6.

The Four Hills is just one of the highlights for ski-jumping fans this season with the Beijing Olympics in February before the World Cup season ends in March.