World Cup Kick-Off in Lillehammer — Vierschanzentournee

The ski jumping elite gathered at the Lysgårdsbakken in Lillehammer this weekend to launch the new World Cup season. Each of the two competition days featured a qualification round and an individual competition and right from the start it became clear just how high the level might be this winter.

Austria delivered an impressive performance on Saturday, with Daniel Tschofenig winning the first event of the season ahead of his teammates Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft. With that, the trio repeated their podium sweep from the last Four Hills Tournament and once again underlined their strong form also for the upcoming season.
See the official results of Saturday's competition

In Sunday’s competition, Ryoyu Kobayashi came out on top in light winter snowfall. The Japanese athlete delivered two convincing jumps and held on to his lead after the first round. Domen Prevc from Slovenia finished second, followed by Germany’s Felix Hoffmann. The second competition was marked by remarkable distances: all three podium finishers reached at least 138 meters in both rounds, just two meters short of the hill size. A clear sign of how close and competitive the field is at the start of this season.
See the official results of Sunday's competition

The qualifications already hinted at the strength of the Austrian team. On Saturday, Stephan Embacher caused a surprise by winning the round. The following day, Jan Hörl made a strong statement. His jump to 141.5 metres was one of the longest jumps of the entire weekend, securing him the top spot in the qualification.
Sunday was especially memorable for the German athlete Felix Hoffmann. With his third-place finish, he celebrated the first World Cup podium of his career. Stephan Embacher also continued his strong performances from the qualification, finishing ninth in the second individual event of the season and setting a new personal career best.
Official qualification results for Saturday and Sunday