Ski jumper Katharina Althaus just missed her ninth podium place of the winter. Two weeks before the World Championships in Planica, the Olympic silver medalist from Oberstdorf finished fourth at the World Cup in Hinzenbach, Austria, just 85 centimeters short of the podium.
Local hero Eva Pinkelnig, who extended her lead in the overall World Cup, celebrated her sixth win of the season.
Althaus jumped on 86.5 and 87.5 m, after the first round she was fifth. Pinkelnig, who jumped 91.5 and 89.5 m at her home game, won ahead of world champion Ema Klinec and Nika Prevc (both from Slovenia). Selina Freitag in seventh and Anna Rupprecht in eleventh ensured a strong result for the German team.
In the overall World Cup, Althaus remains second with 1053 points, but lost ground to Pinkelnig (1242). Another individual competition is scheduled for Saturday in Hinzenbach, and the dress rehearsal for the World Championships will follow a week later in Rasnov, Romania.