Image: GEPA pictures/ Matic Klansek (GEPA pictures)
BAD MITTERNDORF. He’s taking “a lot of self-confidence” with him, said Stefan Kraft after his third place on Sunday and a second on Saturday in ski flying at the Kulm. The man from Salzburg broke the 230 meter mark with almost every jump, but that wasn’t enough to surpass Halvor Egner Granerud. The Norwegian celebrated two wins at the weekend in Bad Mitterndorf, with Slovenia’s Timi Zajc coming closest to him on Sunday.
In front of 6300 spectators, Austria brought two more jumpers into the top ten with Jan Hörl – for the fifth time this season in fifth place – and Manuel Fettner (7th), who is not actually known as a flight specialist. And that, although with Michael Hayböck, Daniel Tschofenig and Clemens Aigner a trio was missing due to illness. It is not entirely surprising that several athletes are struggling with health problems after the Four Hills Tournament, which cost the substance, and the trip to Japan.
Kraft also warned after flying to the ORF: “The most important thing now is to use the next week very well to plan that I won’t physically break in. I’m physically very flat now.” The 29-year-old was already looking beyond the following World Cup stations in Willingen, Lake Placid and Rasnov to the World Championships in Planica, which begin on February 21st.
In the all-time list of the most World Cup podium places, Kraft now has 89, moving past Gregor Schlierenzauer to third place behind Janne Ahonen (108) and Adam Malysz (92nd).
Ebensee’s Maximilian Steiner (39th) missed the second round on Sunday.
“Slip” by Pinkelnig
After eight podium finishes in a row, jumper Eva Pinkelnig had to settle for 13th place in Hinterzarten on Saturday. The woman from Vorarlberg made up for this “slip” with a third place in yesterday’s second competition, thus taking 13th place in the top three in the 15th competition of the season.
When Norwegian Anna Odine Ström won, who jumped a hill record of 112.5 meters in the first round, another Austrian, Chiara Kreuzer (4th), landed in the top field. Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, who achieved her best result of the season with 16th place, showed improving form. Hannah Wiegele missed qualifying for the second round as 35th.
In the overall World Cup, Pinkelnig is now 225 points ahead of Germany’s Katharina Althaus, who won on Saturday.
Source: Nachrichten
