Ski jumping - Wellinger wins the opening round of the Four Hills Tournament
Andreas Wellinger has won the opening competition of the Four Hills Tournament. The 28-year-old came out on top in Oberstdorf ahead of second-placed Ryoyu Kobayashi from Japan and Stefan Kraft from Austria.
Wellinger jumped a formidable 139.5 and 128 meters in front of 25,500 enthusiastic spectators in the Arena am Schattenberg. He raised the hopes of German ski jumping fans for the first overall victory in the tour since Sven Hannawald's triumph in 2002.
Philipp Raimund also performed well and finished sixth. Local hero Karl Geiger was unlucky with the conditions in the second round and ended up in seventh place after finishing fourth at the halfway point.
From the team of national coach Stefan Horngacher, Pius Paschke in eleventh place and Stephan Leyhe in 24th place also scored World Cup points. Defending champion Halvor Egner Granerud from Norway was unable to do so. The 27-year-old was eliminated in the first round after a jump of just 105.5 meters and already has no chance of winning the overall title again.
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Andreas Wellinger's victory in Oberstdorf marked Karl Geiger's closest challenge in the Four Hills Tournament, with Geiger ending up in seventh place. The German ski jumping team, under the guidance of national coach Stefan Horngacher, had another representative in the points with Pius Paschke finishing in eleventh position. Austria's Stefan Kraft, who came second, continues to show his strength in Nordic skiing events. Meanwhile, Germany's hopes for a first overall victory in the tour since Sven Hannawald's triumph in 2002 are growing. In a disappointing outing, defending champion Halvor Egner Granerud from Norway was eliminated in the first round and has little chance of repeating his title triumph.
As the Four Hills Tournament progresses, Andreas Wellinger continues to dominate, with strong performances from fellow Germans Karl Geiger and Philipp Raimund. The German team's depth in World Cup ski jumping has been evident, with Stephan Leyhe also earning points. Austria's Stefan Kraft has maintained his form and placed second in the tournament, while the international field includes competitors like Ryoyu Kobayashi from Japan. With the Four Hills Tournament taking place in Bavaria's famous winter sports resort, Oberstdorf, ski jumping fans from around the world have been thrilled by these exhilarating performances.
Source: www.stern.de
