Prevc ‘Domen-ates’ Klingenthal Ski Jumping World Cup

World Cup leader Domen Prevc (SLO) further extended his advantage at the top of the Crystal Globe standings with a fourth-successive World Cup victory, completing the Klingenthal double on the final day of competition in Germany.

The Slovenian reigning Large Hill World champion won both contests in Wisla (POL) last week, before a commanding performance on Saturday landed him the first Klingenthal crown.

The second contest was a far from straight forward affair for Prevc, with Beijing 2022 Normal Hill Olympic champion Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN) trailing him by just 0.2pts after the opening round.

Prevc was the only ski jumper to achieve at least 140m across the two rounds though and his second-round performance helped him power to another win by 13 points.

He finished with a combined total of 275.1pts, for jumps of 141m and 140.5, with runner-up Ren Nikaido (JPN) matching the best result of his career, with just the second podium finish of his career (262.1pts). Team-mate Kobayashi (261.0pts) placed third.

Prevc now leads the race for the 2025/26 Crystal Globe by 159 points, with Kobayashi the nearest contender after the first 10 events of the season.

“Actually, I was really, really nervous on the top as I know my legs are still stiff from yesterday and I didn’t feel my best,” Prevc admitted to FIS after the event.

“My jumps were a bit safe, but all were good and I’m so happy I could score two good jumps in the competition and super happy to win again in Klingenthal.

“I want to keep it (the run of winning form) going as long as possible.”

Visibility was again poor at the Vogtland Arena due to thick fog and mist, as it had been for the first men’s World Cup 24 hours earlier, but the 50-strong field were undeterred.

One of those who did not line-up for the first round though was four-time Olympic medalist Andreas Wellinger (GER), whose woes continued. After placing 40^th on the first day of competition, he missed out on qualifying for the main round. 

Philipp Raimund, the host nation’s strongest performer on the men’s World Cup circuit so far this season, was there though and looking to follow up his third-place finish on Saturday.

A jump of 137m put him ninth at the halfway stage though, meaning he had work to do, as would last season’s Crystal Globe winner Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) two-time World champion Anze Lanisek (SLO), who were 27^th and 17^th respectively after round one.

At the other end of the table though just 10.7pts separated leader Prevc from Kristoffer Sundal (NOR) in fifth, with Kobayashi, Nikaido and Valentin Foubert (FRA) sandwiched in between them.

Tschofenig and team-mate Jonas Schuster (AUT) would make the greatest improvements in terms of placements between the rounds, rising nine spots each, to place inside the top-20. 

Stephan Embacher (AUT) and Halvor Granerud (NOR) would also improve five place to rank inside the top-10, with home-favourite Raimund finishing tenth.

There would be no changes in the names listed among the top-five though.

Foubert’s second round jump of 137m gave him a chance of claiming a first French World Cup podium finish since 2009, but Nikaido would go clear after scoring 123.1pts for a jump of 135m.

The Frenchman would still be celebrating the best result of his career in fourth, while Nikaido would match his previous best, achieved in Falun (SWE) earlier this season, when team-mate Kobayashi was unable to better his overall points score.

Prevc’s narrow first round lead became a commanding victory after landing a sublime 140.5m jump, despite tricky conditions, earning him a more than deserved fourth-successive title.