Marius Lindvik (23) and Halvor Aigner Granrod (25) ended up on the Bischofshofen podium, but both had to be defeated by joint captain Ryoyo Kobayashi (25).
Lindvik led by 5.7 points over Kobayashi before the final round, but there the Japanese were in a class of their own and claimed their third straight win at the German-Austrian jump week.
Thus, Kobayashi also increased the lead in the jump week summary before the fourth and final race. The Japanese have 17.9 points to go down to Lindvik before a new race awaits at Bischofshofen on Thursday.
– I’m not happy with that, unfortunately. We’re close to that, but yeah… then it’s going to be hell of work tomorrow, Lindvik told TV 2 after the victory slipped away.
– Based on the fact that Kobayashi performed well, I think it will be difficult to get 17 points tomorrow. No, it will be difficult, I think.
Halvor Egner Granerud was also in the fight for victory before the final round, and was third before the race was decided. When he jumped to the lead with a jump of 135.5 metres, the podium place was locked, and the remaining two were pressed on top.
Kobayashi handled the pressure very well, and at 137.5 metres, he was 8.9 points ahead of Granrod.
Then only Lindvik was left at the top, but the 23-year-old failed to discipline Kobayashi. The Norwegian jumped 135.5 meters, but was too deep for the descent. Then he was punished severely for style, and had to see himself defeated by 4.7 points from Kobayashi.
– I crave a little. I try to get a few meters lighter at the end and then his technique gets a little bad too, that’s how it is, Lindvik says of his last jump.
With his victory on Thursday, Kobayashi will win all four races in Jump Week for the second time in his career. He also managed it when he won the 2018/19 edition of Jump Week.
Slovenian Lovro Kos finished third in the summary after two of four races in a jump week, but after a jump of 136 meters he hit the ground in his first competition jump in Bischofshofen. Thus, many style points were deducted, and many combined opportunities for the 22-year-old were missed.
Johann Andre Furfang finished ninth after a good jump of 134.5 meters in the first round, but after 123.5 meters in the last round the list slipped and he finished 16th.
Robert Johansson was 13th after the second round, and there he climbed to seventh after a 135m jump under harsh conditions.
Daniel Andre Tandy finished third in qualifying, but was unsuccessful in the first round. After a jump of 125.5 meters, he lost a duel against Poland’s David Kupaki, and did not advance to the final.
Joasim Odegaard Björing and Frédéric Velumstad failed to qualify for the race.
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