Slovenian ski jumper Domen Prevc secured his first overall win at the Four Hills Tournament, extending Germany's wait for a victory to 25 years. In the finale in Bischofshofen, he finished second and claimed the golden eagle.
Domen Prevc celebrated his dominant triumph at the 74th Four Hills Tournament in Bischofshofen. The 26-year-old Slovenian, ski jumping world champion and world record holder, followed in the footsteps of his brother Peter, who won exactly ten years ago. Prevc received the golden eagle from day's winner Daniel Tschofenig of Austria and proudly held it up to his fans.
"It is a very special moment. I am totally overwhelmed by all these emotions," Prevc said after the finale. On his celebration plans: "Now I'm really going to drink a glass of beer. After that, my celebrations will be to get as much sleep as possible." Germany's last overall winner Sven Hannawald praised: "He prevailed with bravura. In the end, you see liberation in his face."
In icy cold, Prevc jumped 138 and 138.5 meters on the Paul-Außerleitner-Schanze and clinched his first victory as day-second behind Tschofenig. The day's podium was completed by Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi. Overall, Prevc won ahead of Austrians Jan Hörl and Stephan Embacher in front of 12,500 spectators. He receives 100,000 euros in prize money.
The German jumpers played only supporting roles: Felix Hoffmann finished tenth in Bischofshofen (overall sixth), Philipp Raimund twelfth (overall eighth). Ill and battered, Raimund complained: "I feel absolutely shitty. It really broke me down this morning." Hoffmann suffered from a knee injury. Outgoing national coach Stefan Horngacher must prepare his team for the Ski Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf and the Olympics in Italy.
Prevc dominated from Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen onward. Raimund raved: "As a jumper, you wonder where the remaining 15 meters to Domen are? He has a flying feeling that I can only dream of; he does it incredibly beautifully." His sister Nika shines in the women's World Cup. The tournament was likely the last for men only; next year, women will join with floodlights at Bergisel.
Former stars like Andreas Wellinger and Karl Geiger are fighting for World Cup spots. Wellinger: "Currently, we have too many who drop out before the second round. That's the sober reality." For the Olympics, there are only two more spots after Hoffmann and Raimund.
