Tschofenig soars to second successive Willingen win
Feb 02, 2025·Ski Jumping
World Cup leader Daniel Tschofenig won his second title in as many days with victory, in dramatic fashion, at the end of a high-class contest in Willingen (GER).
The Austrian 2024/25 Four Hills Tournament winner, is enjoying a stunning break-through season and recorded his seventh victory of the current campaign, with his sixth having come on Saturday, despite a strong challenge from hill record holder Johann Andre Forfang.
The Norwegian, who claimed individual Normal Hill silver at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, delivered a remarkable 152m jump in the second round, but would ultimately place second.
Tschofenig’s two impressive leaps saw him finish with an overall total of 310.5 points, with Forfang on 305.1, whilst Tschofenig’s team-mate Jan Hoerl (289.5) took third.
The crowd, which was in excess of 13,000 strong at the HS147 Mühlenkopfschanze hill in Willingen, cheered loudly after Forfang landed his final effort and rival Tschofenig, who had led after the first round, admitted he was “totally” nervous ahead of his jump.
“I waited a long time (at the top of the hill) as the crowd was wild and they had to change the gate, so I was a bit nervous,” stated the Austrian after the contest.
Tschofenig continued; “I heard up there that the jump was over 50 (150m) so I knew what I had to do was attack as sitting back would not make it (the victory), so it was great to do it.”
He now holds a 203 point advantage in the overall World Cup standings ahead of nearest competitor, Hoerl, with 2023/24 Crystal Globe winner Stefan Kraft moving above Pius Paschke into third, after the German endured another challenging competition.
Despite a highly promising, career-best, start to the season with five wins from the opening seven events, Paschke is now without a podium finish since the middle of December.
He had placed 27th on Saturday and fared even worse on the second day of competition by failing to reach the second round, a fait which team-mate Karl Geiger would also suffer.
Andreas Wellinger and Philipp Raimund would both make it through but neither were able to deliver host nation success on the Mühlenkopfschanze Hill, finishing 12th and 15th respectively.
Among those enjoying improved form however was 2023/24 Four Hills Tournament winner Ryoyu Kobayashi, who finished seventh, whilst Tate Frantz (USA) claimed nine places in round two and matched his best finish of the season with tenth.
After a fascinating opening round Tschofenig led by 5.6 points from Johann Andre Forfang, with Stefan Kraft a further 6.7 points behind.
However, just 7.3pts separated Kraft, the 2023/24 Crystal Globe winner, and Halvor Egner Granerud who was in 13th, meaning a host of athletes were considered having genuine podium potential heading into the decider.
Anze Lanisek (SLO), who topped the qualification rankings ahead of the World Cup events on Saturday and Sunday, was unable to build on his second-place finish 24 hours earlier though and would drop four places to finish eighth.
Maximilian Ortner (AUT) had made a significant move to attain third in the men’s first individual Willingen World Cup contest and he celebrated a job well done after recording 149m, the third furthest jump of the day.
Olympic Large Hill Team gold medallist Jan Hoerl was another to rise through the rankings late in contest and he would secure third, after sixth in round one.
Team-mate Kraft was the one to drop out of the top-three, as Forfang delivered the furthest effort of the competition, which scored a colossal 157.9 points.
"I really loved the hill, it’s good for me and I’m really happy with my weekend," said Forfang, who was part of Norway's World Cup Mixed Team winning line-up on Friday.
"My jumping has been very good and to win on Friday and be second today feels very good.
"I really hope to keep on fighting for the podiums and victories and hopefully I will get them soon to keep this momentum going into the World Championships, that would be excellent."
Tschofenig has learned not only how to win this season though, but consistently perform under pressure.
Despite being moved down a gate the Austrian delivered the required distance, by dropping 148m effort, which scored 157.7 to take the title.
Next up:
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
Lake Placid (USA):
6 February
TBC - Start Qualification Women’s LH
7 February
09.20 - Competition Start Women’s LH
8 February
TBC - Start Qualification Women’s LH
10.00 - Start Qualification Men’s LH
14.30 - Competition Start Women's LH
17.00 - Competition Start Men’s LH
17.00 - Competition Start Mixed Team LH
9 February
08.30 - Start Qualification Men’s LH
10.00 - Competition Start Men’s LH
* All listings are in Eastern Standard Time (EST) and are subject to change.
