The Ski Flying World Championships in Vikersund, Norway, will be a case for two: After two out of four rounds, Marius Lindvik is the leader on today’s second day (4.30 p.m.). The only one who can keep up with the Norwegian local hero is Austria’s Stefan Kraft, who is 6.5 points behind. The third-placed Slovenian Domen Prevc follows almost 14 points behind. The second best Austrian is Michael Hayböck in eighth place, Manuel Fettner is in 17th place.
However, Kraft’s start to the World Cup was not ideal. In the first round, the man from Salzburg took sixth place after a 225.5 meter leap. “The horses got away with me a bit,” the 28-year-old was able to smile again afterwards. The ÖSV-Adler then proved his top form in the second attempt when he reached the maximum distance of 230 meters. “Everything fell into place there,” says Kraft. The judges saw it that way too. There was even a top mark of 20.
Hayboeck back at the top
Kraft’s roommate Michael Hayböck also had reason to be happy after the first day of the World Cup. As eighth at half-time, the 31-year-old gave a strong sign of life after a long injury and build-up phase. “It is logical that I am very, very happy,” said the Kirchberg-Theninger native, who underwent an intervertebral disc operation in the fall. “I didn’t come here with the confidence of a good season. To be eighth after the first day of flying is something I can be very happy about.” It didn’t particularly bother him that the gap to the World Championship medals is almost 30 points.
There will also be jumping this weekend in Oberhof, Germany, where the women will be completing their last two World Cup competitions today and tomorrow. Sara Marita Kramer, who was eighth in yesterday’s qualifying, is already ranked 25th to secure victory in the overall World Cup.
Source: Nachrichten
