Kamil Stoch wins 69. Four Hills Tournament

Thanks to the excellent performance in the final competition in Bischofshofen (AUT) on Wednesday evening, Kamil Stoch won the title of champion of the Four Hills Tournament for the third time in his career. The third place was taken by Dawid Kubacki.

33-the summer three-time Olympic champion was undefeated on the Paul Ausserleitner hill. Thanks to long jumps 139 m i 140 m i 300,7 point left no doubt in the last four competitions, going for another big title.

“I am very happy and completely satisfied with this result. I just want to enjoy this moment now, Tomorrow will be a new day with new challenges. I am also very grateful to the whole team, especially coaches, they do a great job”, Stoch said, for whom it was already 38. individual victory in the World Cup, now he only needs one win, to catch up with the hitherto most successful Polish ski jumper, Adam Małysz.

Marius Lindvik had a great return to the hill today. After third place in the opening 4-Hills race in Oberstdorf, the Norwegian could not start in two competitions in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck due to toothache and surgery in Innsbruck. Today he again showed himself in a very good shape and took second place thanks to long jumps 137 m i 140,5 m i 280,4 pkt. “Today was a very good day for me. I am very happy with the result and hopeful, that I will still be able to show such good jumps in the next competitions as well. I had to stay in the hospital for two days, but everything went well”, said the Norwegian.

Karl Geiger was able to fix today's big disappointment in Innsbruck. For the compatriot from Oberstdorf, the 4-Hills-Tournament ended with long jumps 138 m i 133,5 m i 277,3 point and third place in Bischofshofen.
With today's performance Geiger also took second place in the overall 4-Hills classification, right in front of Dawid Kubacki, which was just today 15. Halvor Egner Granerud was also unable to live up to the high expectations, occupying 12. place in the final tonight. The World Cup leader even missed a podium place at the 4-Hills-Tournament, Just 0,4 point behind Kubacki.

“I am very happy with the second place in the general classification, it's a really great result. Every hill of the 4-Hills-Tournament is a challenge, especially Innsbruck was quite difficult for me, but today i'm happy, I was able to show it with great jumps and it's a happy ending of the Tournament for me. It was a surprise, that it went so well in Oberstdorf right from the start, and then the 4-Hills-Tournament was full of ups and downs for me “, Geiger said.

Dawid Kubacki was also very pleased with the course of the day: “I am very happy with the end of the 4-Hills-Tournament. The eagle is going to Poland again, and me and Kamil stood on the podium and we could sing the national anthem together. I'm not so happy with my jumps today. It just wasn't my day, maybe Kamil put something in my food. But overall it was a great day for Polish ski jumping.”

Taking fourth place on his home hill, local hero Stefan Kraft gave the Austrians a very good final day of the 4-Hills-Tournament, who had two more contestants in the top ten with Michael Hayboeck (6.) and Daniel Huber (10.). Another strong team result of the Poles was completed by Piotr Żyła and Andrzej Stękala in seventh and eighth place, the best Japanese today was Yukiya Sato in ninth.

Ski Jumping World Cup on Friday, qualification takes place in Titisee-Neustadt (GER), where there will be two individual competitions on Saturday and Sunday.

Statements after the competition in Bischofshofen (AUT)

Severin Freund : At the beginning the 4-Hills tournament wasn't that hard for me, in Garmisch I had good jumps in training and qualifying, but during the competition I had bad wind conditions. Then it took me a while, before I got back on track. After a hard day in Innsbruck, I'm happy, I was able to get a good result here today.

Markus Eisenbichler : I'm actually not that frustrated, I have to smile a little. At the moment I'm just not so sure about the inrun and start positions, especially on such a difficult hill, like that one, then such a bad jump can happen. I have experienced this often before, so I don't get mad anymore. At the 4-Hills-Tournament I always struggled, which cost me a lot of strength and energy.

Pius Paschke : It just didn't go that way, as I wish. For example, in Engelberg everything was much easier for me, now again it was more work and it shows speed again. Of course, my own expectations were higher and I was hoping for better results. But that's part of the sport, and it just didn't work this time.

Michael Hayboeck : I think, that I have never had a 4-Hills-Tournament like this. In the first two events I wasn't in the final round, then I was in the top ten twice. So much has happened in this tournament. Stefan and I were so close to the podium, that's what we wanted and I think, that we deserved it. We will keep fighting and I am also happy with the sixth place. Self-confidence grows.

Daniel Huber : Top 10 is fine. Unfortunately, the last jump was not so good, a pity. But it was my best result and that's why I'm still happy. In some qualifying rounds, and also today, my performances were pretty good.

Stephen Kraft : Last season I was fourth three times at the 4-Hills-Tournament and again today. I think, that I booked this place. Maybe I can win the 4-Hills-Tournament once with fourth places in all four competitions. Pity, that I did not stand on the podium, but I am also very pleased. The second jump was really cool, the first one wasn't perfect and I was still fourth. Except for Garmisch it was a great 4-Hills-Tournament.

Stefan Horngacher (coach GER): Of course I did, that Karl will succeed. He is mentally strong and jumped very well today. In the end, it has to be said, that he finished a great second place in the 4-Hills-Tournament. Kamil Stoch was unrivaled in this form. I think, that we had a very good 4-Hills-Tournament. Constantin and Severin also jumped much better today.

Andreas Widhoelzl (AUT coach): It was definitely a better competition for us, Stefan was very close to the podium, I think, that he was a bit too far in the first round. We are on the right track and we are still fighting. Pity, that they are unable to repeat their training in competition as well. But they know, that they jump well and that the performances are good. Today we had three in the top ten, I think, that's a good team result. I think, that soon we will get the first podium.

Alexander Stoeckl (trainers NOR): I'm not actually a poker player, but together with coaches and athletes, sometimes it's fun to try different things. It's worked before this winter, unfortunately not today. I spoke to Halvor yesterday and he said, that he wants to take a chance. To score a lot more points than Kamil in top form, two things are needed: very good jump, maybe a few bonus points from compensation and Kamil's worse jump. Then we slid down the beam, but unfortunately he didn't make a perfect jump. If we hadn't, could end up on the podium, but it didn't matter to him.