Four Hills Tournament 1959/60

8th Four Hills Tournament
winner
Tour winner	Max Bolkart
Oberstdorf	Max Bolkart
Garmisch-Partenkirchen	Max Bolkart
innsbruck	Max Bolkart
Bischofshofen	Albin Plank
Attendees
Nations	8th
athlete	44 (AUT, CAN, FIN, FRA, FRG, SUI, SWE, YUG)
← 1958/59	1960/61 →

During the 8th Four Hills Tournament in 1959/60 the jumping took place in Oberstdorf on December 30, 1959, the jumping in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on January 1, 1960 and the jumping in Innsbruck on January 4, 1960 . The closing event in Bischofshofen was held on January 6, 1960. The overall winner came from the Federal Republic of Germany for the first time with Max Bolkart. However, the eighth edition of the tour was not a good star. In addition to the flag dispute and the associated withdrawal of four teams (see next section), the Norwegians and Finns had left their top people at home with a view to the upcoming Olympic Games. The Finns sent at least talented young athletes. The upcoming Olympic Games also had a direct impact on the German jumpers. The jumping in Oberstdorf and Garmisch should be counted at the same time 2 of a total of 4 inner German Olympic qualification competitions. Two more competitions were to follow in Lauscha and Schmiedefeld. After the rejection of the GDR jumpers as a result of the flag dispute, the DSV leadership canceled both competitions in the GDR on New Year's Day.

The tour as a plaything of German-German sport relations

Since their first appearance on the 1955/56 tour, the jumpers from the GDR have been an asset to the tour and have twice been the tour winner with Helmut Recknagel . For the spectators it had become normal that both the West German and the jumpers from the GDR started under a common flag. This was also the case when GDR athletes first took part in the Olympics in 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo . Nevertheless, there was a lot of rumor behind the scenes , especially in view of the next Olympic Winter Games in the American Squaw Valley . The main point of contention was again the symbolism under which an all-German team should start. The dream of two independent German teams, which the GDR sports leadership cherished again and again, was clearly rejected by the IOC at that time . In the fall of 1959, the GDR heralded a new round in German-German sports relations. By law of October 1, 1959, from October 7, 1959, the previously black, red and gold state flag was supplemented by the state coat of arms of the GDR with a hammer and compass, surrounded by a wreath of ears. The state coat of arms of the GDR was now emblazoned on sportswear at competitions. This regulation, perceived by the Federal Republic as a provocation, soon led to police countermeasures, which also had a direct effect on sports competitions. The Four Hills Tournament was one of the first victims. Since from the end of October 1959 the display of the flag of the GDR known as the splitter flag, the wearing of the GDR national coat of arms and the playing of the national anthem of the GDR were prohibited in the territory of the Federal Republic by a cabinet decision, the conflict was due to the announcement of the GDR sports leadership To start the Four Hills Tournament only with your own symbolism, preprogrammed. This insistence is incomprehensible against the background of the agreement of December 12, 1959, in which the two German NOKs agreed on the colors black, red and gold with the five Olympic rings for the 1960 Olympic Winter and Summer Games. So elsewhere on the part of the GDR one was quite ready to compromise. When the West German side relative to the competition in Oberstdorf and Garmisch not relented that divided German skiers Association (DSLV) in the person of its Secretary-General Ludwig Schroder at a news conference on 27 December 1959 that the nominated Springer Helmut Recknagel, Werner Lesser and Harry Glaß under would not compete under these circumstances at the ski jumping competitions in Oberstdorf and Garmisch. At this point, however, it was expressly emphasized that participation in the jumping competitions in Innsbruck and Bischofshofen would be maintained, as Austria had always respected hospitality and international customs up to now. At the same time as this cancellation, the Soviet and Czechoslovakian sports federations initially announced that their jumpers would not start on German soil. In order to be able to offer a competition to the jumpers from the Soviet Union and the CSR who are already in Central Europe, the Great Fichtelbergschanze in Oberwiesenthal was prepared for two international ski jumping runs, which took place on December 30th and 31st as a counter-event, despite unfavorable snow conditions.

Subsequently, all teams that had not yet competed had traveled to the Bergisel in Innsbruck. The flag dispute was also an issue in Austria, which, not least because of the Hallstein Doctrine, had no official diplomatic relations with the GDR. There the political decision-makers left it to Innsbruck's Lord Mayor Lugger to cope with the delicate situation. In Austria, too, the GDR side, in the form of delegation leader Ludwig Schröder, called for the GDR flag to be hoisted. With reference to the lack of diplomatic relations, this request was not granted. Alternatively, one offered either the hoisting of the all-German Olympic flag or the waiver of all flags. Lugger had worked out these proposals in consultation with the Innsbruck city parliament. The negotiations about this continued on the day of jumping until shortly before the start of the ski run. When it turned out after a conversation with Lugger that the same would be done in Bischofshofen, the team captains of the jumping teams of the GDR, the Soviet Union, the CSR and now also from Poland announced that they would not show up in Innsbruck and on until half an hour before the start of the Innsbruck jumping subsequent jumping in Bischofshofen as well as her departure for January 4th, 1960. It is idle to speculate whether the up to then two-time tournament winner and Olympic champion of Squaw Valley, Helmut Recknagel, would have won the tour again. In any case, politics blocked his chance. It is undisputed that especially with the jumpers from the GDR and the Soviet Union, the 8th tour was withheld from a large jumping class.

Nominee athletes

nation	Athletes
BR Germany	Heinrich Zapf , Max Bolkart , Helmut Kurz , Hermann Anwander , Hubert Witting , Georg Thoma , Helmut Wegscheider , Wolfgang Happle , Alois Haberstock , Axel Zerlaut , Helmut Böck , Rudi Duffke , Heini Ihle
Austria	Willi Egger , Walter Habersatter , Otto Leodolter , Alois Leodolter , Walter Steinegger , Albin Plank , Peter Müller , Ferdl Wallner , Baldur Preiml , Rudi Schweinberger , Klaus Fichtner , Willi Köstinger , Ernst Kröll , Waldemar Heigenhauser
Finland	Timo Kivelä , Markku Maatela
France	Robert Rey , Claude Jean-Prost
Yugoslavia	Jože Langus , Marjan Pečar , Jože Šlibar , Miro Oman , Božo Jemc
Canada	Jacques Charland , Gerry Gravelle , Alois Moser
Sweden	Folke Mikaelsson , Inge Lindqvist , Lars-Åke Bergseije
Switzerland	Andreas Däscher , Peter Wenger , Ueli Scheidegger

Oberstdorf

In rain and foehn, the local Max Bolkart won the opening competition. In the absence of competition from the GDR and the Soviet Union, jumpers from the Federal Republic and Austria dominated the competition.

• Date: December 30, 1959
• Country: BR Germany 
• Hill: Schattenbergschanze
• Spectators: 6,000

Item	Jumper	country	Points
1.	Max Bolkart	BR Germany	220.5
2.	Albin Plank	Austria	219.5
3.	Helmut Kurz	BR Germany	219.0
4th	Holger Karlsson	Sweden	217.0
	Willi Egger	Austria	217.0
6th	Hermann Anwander	BR Germany	215.5
7th	Walter Habersatter	Austria	214.5
8th.	Otto Leodolter	Austria	212.5
9.	Georg Thoma	BR Germany	212.0
	Folke Mikaelsson	Sweden	212.0

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

In a very close decision, Max Bolkart was also able to win the second competition in the thaw. In the end he won with a 0.4 point lead. In consideration of the flag dispute, no national symbols were shown on the Garmisch Olympic hill.

• Date: January 1, 1960
• Country: BR Germany 
• Hill: Large Olympic hill
• Spectators: 20,000

Intermediate result after 2 jumps
Item	Jumper	Points
01.	Bolkart	436.9
02.	Plank	430.7
03.	Kivelä	428.0

Item	Jumper	country	Points
1.	Max Bolkart	BR Germany	216.9
2.	Timo Kivelä	Finland	216.5
3.	Jože Šlibar	Yugoslavia	212.7
4th	Inge Lindqvist	Sweden	212.6
5.	Georg Thoma	BR Germany	212.5
6th	Božo Jemc	Yugoslavia	212.1
7th	Albin Plank	Austria	211.2
8th.	Markku Maatela	Finland	210.8
9.	Jacques Charland	Canada	210.4
10.	Willi Egger	Austria	209.8

innsbruck

Max Bolkart also won the third competition despite all previous political turbulence. Teammate Georg Thoma, who came directly to the Bergisel from an Olympic elimination in the Nordic Combined in Reit im Winkl, finished fifth without training. In training, the 1956 Olympic third party Harry Glaß caused great excitement when he fell heavily on a training jump and had to bury his Olympic hopes.

• Date: January 3, 1960
• Country: Austria 
• Ski jump: Bergisel ski jump
• Spectators: 8,000

Intermediate result after 3 jumps
Item	Jumper	Points
01.	Bolkart	666.9
02.	Plank	647.2
03.	Leodolter	645.9

Item	Jumper	country	Points
1.	Max Bolkart	BR Germany	229.5
2.	Otto Leodolter	Austria	225.5
3.	Albin Plank	Austria	216.5
4th	Folke Mikaelsson	Sweden	215.5
5.	Georg Thoma	BR Germany	214.5
6th	Timo Kivelä	Finland	213.0
7th	Willi Egger	Austria	212.0
8th.	Božo Jemc	Yugoslavia	211.5
	Walter Steinegger	Austria	211.5
10.	Markku Maatela	Finland	211.0

Bischofshofen

In the final competition there was an Austrian triple success. Nevertheless, neither Plank nor Leodolter could pose a threat to the overall winner Max Bolkart. This did not jump at full risk and came in 5th place.

• Date: January 6, 1960
• Country: Austria 
• Hill: Paul-Ausserleitner-Schanze

Item	Jumper	country	Points
1.	Albin Plank	Austria	227.5
2.	Otto Leodolter	Austria	224.7
3.	Willi Egger	Austria	221.7
4th	Helmut Kurz	BR Germany	216.0
5.	Max Bolkart	BR Germany	211.1
	Jacques Charland	Canada	211.1
7th	Walter Steinegger	Austria	210.8
8th.	Wolfgang Happle	BR Germany	209.8
9.	Jože Šlibar	Yugoslavia	208.9
10.	Timo Kivelä	Finland	204.3

Final score

The German Max Bolkart (winner in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck) won the 8th Four Hills Tournament ahead of the Austrians Albin Plank (winner in Bischofshofen) and Otto Leodolter .

Item	Jumper	country	Points
1.	Max Bolkart	BR Germany	878.0
2.	Albin Plank	Austria	874.7
3.	Otto Leodolter	Austria	870.6
4th	Willi Egger	Austria	860.5
5.	Helmut Kurz	BR Germany	849.0
6th	Timo Kivelä	Finland	845.3
7th	Georg Thoma	BR Germany	839.8
8th.	Walter Steinegger	Austria	826.8
9.	Hermann Anwander	BR Germany	825.7
10.	Wolfgang Happle	BR Germany	808.7

See also

• 1960 Winter Olympics

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Robert Kauer, Raymund Stolze, Klaus Taglauer: 50 + 1 years of the International Four Hills Tournament Flying & Siegen . 3. Edition. wero press, Pfaffenweiler 2002, ISBN 3-9808049-0-9 . P. 33
2. ↑ ^{a b} Hamburger Abendblatt from January 2, 1960 p. 15
3. ↑ Law amending the law on the state coat of arms and the state flag of the German Democratic Republic. From October 1, 1959
4. ↑ 83rd cabinet meeting on October 28, 1959, Immediate measures by the Federal Government to prevent the flag of the "GDR" from being displayed in the Federal Republic
5. ↑ 88th cabinet meeting on December 9, 1959 Flag of the all-German Olympic team , note 28
6. ↑ ^{a b} Berliner Zeitung of December 28, 1959 p. 4
7. ↑ ND of December 30, 1959 p. 1
8. ↑ Flag dispute at Innsbruck ski jumping . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 5, 1960, p. 1 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
9. ↑ Hamburger Abendblatt, January 4, 1960 p. 1
10. ↑ Robert Kauer, Raymund Stolze, Klaus Taglauer: 50 + 1 years of the International Four Hills Tournament Flying & Siegen . 3. Edition. wero press, Pfaffenweiler 2002, ISBN 3-9808049-0-9 . P. 194
11. ^ FIS: Official Results
12. ^ Also in Innsbruck flag dispute . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 3, 1960, p. 24 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
13. ↑ Hamburger Abendblatt, January 4, 1960 p. 10
14. ^ FIS: Official Results
15. ↑ Bolkart before the overall victory . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 5, 1960, p. 10 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).
16. ↑ Hamburger Abendblatt, January 7, p. 6
17. ^ FIS: Official Results
18. ^ FIS Cup Standings