Match ball in Vikersund

Kraft’s third big crystal globe within reach

Stefan Kraft

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

For the first time in 44 years, the first four places went to ÖSV eagles. Stefan Kraft can win the World Cup in Vikersund on Saturday and thus his third major crystal globe.

With a historic demonstration of power, the red-white-red ski jumpers have celebrated a more than successful dress rehearsal for the 2025 World Championships in Trondheim. For the first time in 44 years, four ÖSV eagles - Stefan Kraft, Daniel Tschofenig, Jan Hörl and Daniel Huber - topped the results lists of a World Cup competition on Wednesday, with Michael Hayböck in sixth place adding a fifth Austrian to the top field. A good omen for next year's World Championships.

ÖSV head coach Andreas Widhölzl was delighted with the dominance of his protégés and drew a positive conclusion about the first familiarization with the newly built normal and large hill in the Norwegian World Cup venue. "The hills are very cool and a bit different in terms of their characteristics. They suit us quite well, which was very positive," said the Tyrolean, but emphasized: "It's still a long way to the World Championships. Next year we will have to work and tinker a lot again so that we are in a good position at the World Championships. The potential in the team is huge."

"This is what I wanted to achieve when I became coach"
Widhölzl also saw the success as confirmation of the work of the whole team. "I'm there as head coach and I'm doing my bit. But the bike is much bigger than that. It's a huge team that has been chipping in since April and working for the whole system," said the 47-year-old. The athletes are not exclusively focused on themselves either. "That's fun. We all pull together and that's what I wanted to create when I became a coach." If things aren't going so well, you can talk about unpleasant things and stay positive. "That's what makes the team so strong," said the coach. "It can go on like this."

Andreas Widhölzl

(Bild: GEPA)

Kraft gave an insight into his emotional world in the Trondheim run-out; the battle for the overall World Cup certainly left its mark on the 30-year-old from Salzburg. "The victory was very important for my peace of mind," said the World Cup dominator after his Japanese rival Ryoyu Kobayashi triumphed on the normal hill on Tuesday and reduced the gap by 55 points. That's why he had a restless night behind him.

Kraft: "It's so dominant in my head"
Now the lead over Kobayashi, only 14th on Wednesday, is a comfortable 303 points with four competitions to go. "I'm happy that I was able to fight back like this. It's so dominant in my head, it's hard to get that out. You only ever look at what Kobayashi is doing. He always jumps in front and then it's a bit grueling, but that was a good step," said Kraft after his twelfth win of the season. And at the end, Kraft's specialty is on the program, the third big crystal globe after 2016/17 and 2019/20 is within reach.

Match ball
In the coming days, the ski flying world champion will return to the "Monsterbakken" in Vikersund, where he set the still existing world record in 2017 with 253.5 meters. "I'm really looking forward to it and hope that I fly stable there," said the man from Pongau. With another win at the weekend or two fourth places, the yellow jersey at the World Cup final in Planica would be out of Kraft's reach. In the Raw Air ranking - the Norwegian equivalent of the Four Hills Tournament ends in Vikersund - Kraft also has a big lead of 26 points over second-placed Hörl.