The Four Hills Tournament is heading furiously towards its finale, Ryoyu Kobayashi and Andreas Wellinger are fighting an extremely exciting duel. The Japanese ski jumper could be crowned overall winner in Bischofshofen – and create a historical curiosity in the process.
Kobayashi took second place in the first three competitions of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old is at the top of the overall ranking, 4.8 points ahead of Andreas Wellinger. The decision will be made on Saturday (from 4:30 p.m. in the LIVE ticker sport.de) in Bischofshofen.
It is possible that Kobayashi will ultimately win the Four Hills Tournament without a single day’s victory.
Four Hills Tournament: Kobayashi in the footsteps of Ahonen
The last time Finnish ski jumping legend Janne Ahonen achieved this feat was in the 1998/99 season. At that time, fifth place in Oberstdorf and three second places at the remaining stations were enough for the now 46-year-old to prevail in the finals ahead of the Japanese Noriaki Kasai.
Kobayashi can’t sit back in Bischofshofen as Wellinger is breathing down his neck.
The DSV Adler continues to believe in the end of the German tour curse, even though he lost his place in the sun on Bergisel.
“I really like Bischofshofen and hope that the conditions are good. 2.5 meters is nothing on the big hill,” Wellinger commented on the gap to Kobayashi on “ZDF”. The route: “Give it full throttle!”
German party at the Four Hills Tournament?
Sven Hannawald is still the last German overall winner at the Four Hills Tournament. There has been a lull since the 2001/02 season.
Kobayashi, on the other hand, knows the feeling of lifting the golden eagle into the air. The Japanese athlete prevailed in 2021/22 ahead of the Norwegians Marius Lindvik and Halvor Egner Granerud.