Slovenia “speechless” after soaring to Men’s Team World title defence

Two spectacular jumps from Anze Lanisek (SLO) helped Slovenia defend their Men’s Team Large Hill World Championship title, holding off strong challenges from Austria and hosts Norway in a dramatic finale, in Trondheim (NOR).

Austria, with a line-up which included the top-three athletes in the overall World Cup standings – Daniel Tschofenig, Jan Hoerl and Stefan Kraft – were the strong favourites.

However, Norway have been the outstanding nation on their home hill throughout Trondheim 2025 and they too were highly-fancied.

Instead, it was Slovenia, who took the lead in round two and would go on to retain the title they won for the first time in history two years ago in their homeland.

Three of the quartet – Lanisek, Lovro Kos and Timi Zajc – were part of that line-up in Planica and returned to the top of the podium, this time with Domen Prevc after attaining a total of 1080.8 points from their eight jumps.

Austria took silver, with 1067.4pts, with Norway completing the podium places on 1065.3.

“Who would have thought after the start of the season for us,” said Lanisek, in reference to the challenging beginning to the 2024-25 campaign the team had, with few only a few World Cup podium results. 

“It definitely wasn’t an easy one (today), but I’m really glad and grateful to all my colleagues coaches, all the staff here, my family and all the other jumper's families.

Lanisek continued; “It’s a real honor that we really wore that jersey today, we did it proudly and tried to give our best and that (win) is our result at the end, so I’m a bit speechless.”

2025 Four Hills Tournament winner and World Cup Tschofenig had opted against competing in the Mixed Team event, which was won by Norway on Wednesday and was looking to build confidence via the Men’s Team contest ahead of his individual ambitions at the weekend.

He looked unhappy after his opening round effort of 127m, which scored 125.9 points, but it was enough to give Austria an early lead and it would ultimately be the only time they topped the standings.

Prevc (SLO)’s impressive 135m jump in the second round would put his nation top and they rarely looked like surrendering that position. 

They held a 21.5 point advantage over Austria at the halfway stage, with Norway and Germany seemingly locked in a battle for bronze, although Japan was not entirely out of contention.

Despite boasting the talents of Ryoyu Kobayashi and Yukiya Sato, the Japanese challenge would ultimately fade, while Germany too lost ground in the sixth round, which would see them eventually rank fourth, for the second day in a row. 

The growing expectation on leaders Slovenia seemingly began to have an impact in the latter rounds, as Austria and Norway narrowed the gap following outstanding performances by Maximilian Ortner (AUT) and Johann Andre Forfang (NOR), as well as Kraft (AUT) and Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal (NOR). 

Heading into the final round of jumps, Slovenia’s advanatage had been cut to just 2.5 points.

Individual Normal Hill champion Marius Lindvik, who was also part of Norway’s Mixed Team success on Wednesday, gave himself a chance of a third gold in Trondheim with the furthest jump of the day – measured at 138.5m, which scored 153 points.

However, Hoerl (AUT) did what he so often does, delivers under pressure and his 135m effort was enough to nudge Austria ahead in the overall standings.

Lanisek was the final athlete to leap from the Granåsen hill and typically saved his best until last, achieving a jump of 138m, which scored 151.4pts and gave Slovenia a well-earned, if highly-dramatic, title defence.

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships (NOR) - Program:

6 March
20.30 – Start Qualification Women's LH
7 March
16.30 – Competition Start Women's LH
8 March
14:15 – Start Qualification Men's LH
15.45 – Competition Start Men's LH