The overall leader of the tour also won the qualification for the last competition. Stefan Kraft dominated on Sunday. The German sextet qualified completely. Andreas Wellinger was the best from national coach Stefan Horngacher’s team.
Wellinger made it into the top 10 in ninth place with 134.5 meters. Stefan Kraft won the qualification for the decisive fourth competition of the tour on Monday (January 6, 2025, 4:30 p.m.). The Austrian leader in the overall ranking flew to 142 meters ahead of compatriot Maximilian Ortner (139.5 meters) and the Swiss Georg Deschwanden (142.0 meters).
Wellinger: “More stable”
The best German was happy with his placement: “I picked up where I left off in Innsbruck”said the Innsbruck 13th. Wellinger on ARD radio: “This is the take-off transition, the first third of the flight has become more stable. This is the point at which I am losing most of the meters at the moment because the lightness is not there.”
Paschke 13., Raimund, 15. Geiger 16.
Pius Paschke, who traveled to the tour as one of the favorites, was once again unable to maintain his pre-tour form. With 135.0 meters he came 13th. The 34-year-old, who only came 26th and 14th in training, later said: “Started badly, finished much better. I’ll continue tomorrow, then it can be a cool jumping. I wasn’t completely dissatisfied. Tomorrow and with the necessary looseness, then something will happen.”
Philipp Raimund flew to 138.5 meters and thus came 15th. Karl Geiger, who did not make it into the second round of the competition in Innsbruck, took another step forward. With 131.0 meters he came 16th.
| Pairing No. | Knight placement | Knight placement |
|---|---|---|
10 | Sakutaro Kobayashi (Japan) – 35. | Karl Geiger (Oberstdorf) – 16. |
11 | Naoki Nakamura (Japan) – 36. | Philipp Raimund (Oberstdorf) – 15. |
12 | Felix Hoffmann – (Goldlauter) 37. | Johann Andre Forfang (Norway) – 14. |
13 | Halvor Egner Greanerud (Norway) – 38. | Pius Paschke (Kiefersfelden) – 13. |
17 | Roman Koudelka (Czech Republic) – 42. | Andreas Wellinger (Ruhpolding) – 9. |
19 | Adrian Tittel (Aue) – 44. | Benjamin Oestvold (Norway) – 7. |
20 | Fatih Arda Ipcioglu (Türkiye) – 45. | Jan Hörl (Austria) – 6. |
22 | Ziga Jelar (Slovenia) – 47. | Daniel Tschofenig (Austria) – 4. |
25 | Andrew Holiday (USA) – 50. | Stefan Kraft (Austria) – 1. |
Power in front of Hörl and Tschofenig
Kraft left the best impression in the three-way battle for the overall victory between the Austrians Stefan Kraft (887.1 points), Jan Hörl (886.5 points) and Daniel Tschofenig (885.8 points) with his qualifying victory. Tschofenig only came fourth with 137 meters (+ 9.1 points), Hörl came sixth with 139.0 meters (+ 9.6 points). The trio fighting for the Golden Eagle on Monday is separated by just 1.3 points, or about 75 centimeters, before the tour finale.
Raimund Stark: “There is more”
Philipp Raimund jumped in a good qualification, coming in 15th with 138.5 meters. “There’s more to come”the 24-year-old, who was able to impress in training in the afternoon by finishing 15th and 8th, rejoiced as he was already running out. He later said on ZDF: “I still don’t like the jump. The run-up is annoying me. But overall I’m very satisfied. Even more would have been possible now. I can start tomorrow with a lot of self-confidence.” What is challenging for all jumpers is that the jump facility in the Salzachpongau region has an unusually long run-up.
Hoffmann and Tittel are also there
Also competing on Monday near Salzburg are Felix Hoffmann (125.0 meters) and Adrian Tittel (124.0 meters). Hoffmann was 37th and has to face the Norwegian Johann Andre Forfang in a direct duel on Monday. Tittel came in 44th and has to contend with the Norwegian Benjamin Oestvold.