Daniel Tschofenig from Austria clinched victory at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Zakopane, Poland, overcoming a twelve-point gap. This win marked his second in just 24 hours, following a team event win with Austria the day before.
Tschofenig demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, coming from behind in the individual event.
At the halfway point, it looked like Anze Lanisek from Slovenia might take his first World Cup victory of the season. He led after an impressive first jump that scored 169.2 points, giving him an 11.9-point advantage over Johann Andre Forfang from Norway and a 12.1-point lead over Tschofenig.
Despite this, Tschofenig didn’t believe he had a chance to win. “Twelve points are a lot,” he said, acknowledging Lanisek’s strong performance and ability to handle pressure.
However, the situation changed in the second jump. Lanisek struggled and landed at 130m, scoring only 136.0 points, which was not enough for a podium finish; he ended up in fourth place.
In contrast, Tschofenig nailed the best jump of the second round, rising to the top with a total of 316.7 points. Forfang secured second place with 309.4 points, marking his first podium of the season. “It feels amazing to be back on the podium,” Forfang said, pleased with his recent improvements.
Tschofenig’s teammate, Jan Hoerl, claimed third place just narrowly, with 309.3 points, despite making the longest jump of the day at 140m.
After the event, Tschofenig reflected on his win, noting that having low expectations allowed him to focus. “I was free to do my jump, which really helped me,” he said.
This victory also widened Tschofenig’s lead in the World Cup standings. He now has 1,056 points, surpassing the 1,000-point mark for the first time in his career. Hoerl trails with 976 points, while Pius Paschke holds third with 848 points.
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