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Four Hills Tournament: Opening competition in Oberstdorf NOW in the live ticker – end of the first round
Kasperi Valto (FIN) vs. Andreas Wellinger (GER) Tschofenig can breathe a sigh of relief because even Kasperi Valto cannot displace the ÖSV athlete from fifth place among the lucky losers. He is followed by Andreas Wellinger from the German team, who once again starts the attack towards the half-time lead. The conditions are great and Wellinger really nails it! Wellinger sails to 139.5 meters and takes top marks in attitude. So he definitely plays a role when it comes to winning the day. Where does Wellinger come out? It will be the lead! The DSV jumper takes a 4.8 point lead into the final.
Erik Belshaw (USA) vs. Karl Geiger (GER) Erik Belshaw opened the penultimate duel of the first round and delivered a really good set with 122 meters. Tschofenig will now look very closely. Will the US boy pass him and kick him out? No. Belshaw takes fewer points due to a few plus points and will be eliminated. But now it’s all about winning the day again. What can Geiger deliver? After 133.5 meters he took third place. A good seven points are missing from the front.
Eetu Nousiainen (FIN) vs. Peter Prevc (SLO) Eetu Nousiainen was anything but happy when he reached the bottom, because at 116.5 meters he won’t be able to make it to the final either. He is followed by Peter Prevc. Can the Slovenian jump back to the front like he did in qualifying? No. After 124.5 meters it will be a midfield result for him.
Svyatoslav Nazarenko (KAZ) vs. Philipp Raimund (GER) Svyatoslav Nazarenko starts in the fourth-to-last duel against DSV jumper Raimund and does a decent job with 116 meters, even if it might not be enough for the final. Now it’s all about winning the day again. What can Philipp Raimund deliver? The 23-year-old puts everything into it, but as a result he gains a little height and shakes his head as he runs out. There was more there. Raimund is in eighth place.
Niko Kytösaho (FIN) vs. Johann Andre Forfang (NOR) Niko Kytösaho is the next athlete to try to push Tschofenig off the lucky loser list, but at 113.5 meters it won’t work for him either, should Forfang unsurprisingly leave out. At 123.5 meters, he certainly didn’t achieve the distance he had actually hoped for, but he won the duel confidently.
Francesco Cecon (ITA) vs. Michael Hayböck (AUT) Now we go up another hatch. Francesco Cecon can show 114 meters and will also say goodbye. This width is not enough for the lucky losers. What’s next for Michael Hayböck, who should be based on his previous best results. Things are going well, but the 131.5 meters are not enough for the top duo. 12.8 points are missing from Kobayashi.
Andrea Campregher (ITA) vs. Stefan Kraft (AUT) For Andrea Campregher, however, this attempt is still a big challenge and after a technically inaccurate jump, he no longer has any hopes of making it to the final after 110.5 meters. But now all eyes are looking upwards again. What can Stefan Kraft improve on Kobayashi? The wind conditions have gotten a little worse again, but the power is still going strong! With the necessary consistency, Kraft puts the 132.5 meters into the slope. The grades are also top. Is that enough for the top? Almost not. Kobayashi remains ahead by 0.8 points.
Pawel Wasek (POL) vs. Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN) It was his brother’s turn earlier, now Ryoyu Kobayashi, the stronger athlete of the brother pair, follows. In his duel, Pawel Wasek leads the way, but after 118 meters he doesn’t have enough distance to stir up the lucky losers again. Kobayashi then shows himself really well and delivers a top distance of 134.5 meters. The grades are also good and the score is 19.0 three times. With 13.3 points it easily passes Lindvik.
Junshiro Kobayashi (JPN) vs. Pius Paschke (GER) Junshiro Kobayashi now even catches a slight upwind and can use it to go up to 128.5 meters. Shortly afterwards, the jury goes down a gate for Pius Paschke. But it shouldn’t be a disadvantage for the strong DSV jumper, especially since the conditions are still really good. That’s also the reason why Paschke has to wait for now, because the wind is outside the corridor.
Antti Aalto (FIN) vs. Marius Lindvik (NOR) Now we can move on to the next duel. Antti Aalto leads the way and with only a slight tailwind he can pull down the 119.5 meters. That wouldn’t be enough for the lucky losers, so he has to hope that Lindvik screws up now. But he doesn’t do him this favor, delivers and puts the 132 meters in the snow. The grades are in the high 18 range and so it comes close to the top with fewer plus points in wind compensation.
Wind provides a break The wind isn’t making it easy for the jury. After there was a lot of tailwind earlier, there is now an upswing, which is why there is a small break before the next duel between Aalto and Lindvik.
Taku Takeuchi (JPN) vs. Jan Hörl (AUT) The gap in the duels is now widening and so Jan Hörl also gets a task along the way that is more than solvable. After just 108.5 meters, the Japanese might be one of those who are just spectators. Jan Hörl goes to 123.5 meters in difficult conditions. The grades are solid, is it still enough for first place against Fettner? Almost not. He is 2.1 points short of his teammate.
Aleksander Zniszczol (POL) vs. Stephan Leyhe (GER) The first German athlete is in demand: Stephan Leyhe. Against him is Zniszczol from Poland, who also threatens to be eliminated with 114.5 meters, because Leyhe should be able to easily crack this distance. In the sea of flags in Oberstdorf, the 31-year-old goes up to 123 meters. Not a perfect jump, but one that’s easily enough to win the duel. In the overall ranking, Leyhe comes in sixth place.
Benjamin Östvold (NOR) vs. Ren Nikaido (JPN) Benjamin Östvold has not yet managed to deliver his good training performance in Oberstdorf when it counts and after 116.5 meters he doesn’t give his duel opponent the unsolvable one on the way. It shows that he worked well over Christmas and goes down to 126.5 meters. The Japanese takes third place, while Östvold is eliminated.
Kamil Stoch (POL) vs. Lovro Kos (SLO) With a strong tailwind, Kamil Stoch delivers a pretty decent jump and it’s still 117 meters. But is that enough against the Slovenian flyer Lovro Kos? No. Kos ensures clear conditions after 123 meters and is safely in the final. For his part, Stoch can still hope for the lucky losers. He moves to fourth position and kicks Peier out.
Maciej Kot (POL) vs. Manuel Fettner (AUT) Manuel Fettner ensures a clear decision in his duel. While Kot only barely gets over 100 meters, Fettner shows that long jumps are still possible and after 124.5 meters he wins the duel and takes the lead.
Giovanni Bresadola (ITA) vs. Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR) Fat surprise! Giovanni Bresadola has a big surprise when he thinks he has been eliminated after a short jump. But things don’t go well for last season’s overall winner and after Granerud completely misses the timing, he jumps even shorter and is eliminated against Bresadola!
Vladimir Zografski (BUL) vs. Clemens Aigner (AUT) The winner of the Summer Grand Prix has run into trouble in the last few weeks and the stable jumps just won’t come anymore. After the timing wasn’t right, it was over after just 111 meters. Aigner has to make a real mistake if he is to make it to the final. But he doesn’t do Zografski the favor. The ÖSV athlete’s jump doesn’t match up perfectly, but 118.5 meters is easily enough to prevail. Zografski is eliminated because his width is not enough for the lucky losers either.
Gregor Deschwanden (SUI) vs. Timi Zajc (SLO) Yesterday Gregor Deschwanden couldn’t deliver what he had actually imagined. Today the jump doesn’t go perfectly, but at 124 meters it is the new maximum distance and should certainly challenge Zajc. He lost to Deschwanden by 3.1 points with 121 meters, but is the new leader in the lucky loser ranking and therefore also has a good chance of reaching the final.
Daniel-Andre Tande (NOR) vs. Alex Insam (ITA) It was really close in this duel in rehearsal, how does it end now? Tande leads with 119.5 meters. Is that enough to beat Alex Insam, who is currently on the rise? The Italian puts 121 meters in the snow and makes it exciting. He only saves 0.8 points over Tande, who had more tailwind, and moves into the final! Tande is the new leader of the Lucky Losers.
Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal (NOR) vs. Roman Koudelka (CZE) Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal did really well in the rehearsal, but as is so often the case, the 22-year-old struggles with executing his jumps in competition. Not everything is going perfectly and at 112 meters he doesn’t give Koudelka an impossible task. He showed off his best jump to date in Oberstdorf, delivered the 118 meters and easily made it to the final. The Czech then recorded his first World Cup points this winter.
Domen Prevc (SLO) vs. Remo Imhof (SUI) Domen Prevc has to provide in the next duel and with 115 meters leaves the door wide open for the next Swiss. What can Remo Imhof deliver? At 116 meters it comes one meter further than Prevc, but doesn’t get the very high marks and gets fewer plus points for the wind. Does that make the difference? Yes. With 2.1 points less, Imhof has to hope for the lucky losers. He is now the new second there.
Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) vs. Simon Ammann (SUI) Daniel Tschofenig has had frustrating days in Oberstdorf so far and none of the Austrian’s jumps have gone well. With 119 meters he delivers his best attempt so far in Oberstdorf, but doesn’t come close to what Lanisek showed before him. What is Simon Ammann adding now? The veteran achieved the same distance, but found more tailwind and received correspondingly more points for wind compensation. Will Ammann beat the ÖSV youngster? Yes! Tschofenig has to hope for the lucky losers, where he now takes the lead.
Artti Aigro (EST) vs. Anze Lanisek (SLO) The third duel once again features a prominent name in Anze Lanisek. Aigro beats him, keeping the hurdle relatively low at 111 meters. Lanisek doesn’t stop there and goes down to 123.5 meters. But will that be enough to get you into a top position after the first round? This will become apparent as we progress.
Dawid Kubacki (POL) vs. Killian Peier (SUI) A Polish ski jumper, Dawid Kubacki, also opens in the second duel. The 33-year-old is going into the inrun weakened after a flu before the tour and with a lot of tailwind he has no chance of a good jump. At 112 meters he leaves the door wide open for Killian Peier. Can he take advantage of the opportunity and qualify directly for the final? Peier makes it exciting and lands at 111 meters. The Swiss hardly takes any points in his stance. Who is ahead? It’s Kubacki. Peier has to hope for the lucky losers.
Four Hills Tournament: Opening competition in Oberstdorf NOW in the live ticker – start
Piotr Zyla (POL) vs. Tate Frantz (USA) Piotr Zyla finds himself in a difficult role this year and after a poor qualification it is the Pole’s turn in the first duel. In the rehearsal he lost to Tate Frantz, what will he do now against the US boy? With a lot of tailwind it can’t show more than 113 meters. A brand that Frantz could actually break. But he’s also having a hard time and after only 108.5 meters Zyla barely makes it into the final.