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On Sunday at Titisee-Neustadt, Stefan Kraft finished third on his first winter World Cup podium. The Salzburg man only had to admit defeat to Norwegians Halvor Egner Granerud and Daniel Andre Tande. World Cup leader Granerud celebrated his sixth success of the season. Touring champion Kamil Stoch, who won for the third time in a row on Saturday before Granerud, failed to break 17th.
Kraft (138 m / 136 m) did it a week after the end of the disappointing Four Hills Tournament and his fourth place at Bischofshofen 2.6 points ahead of Germany’s Markus Eisenbichler (136.5 / 135.5) on the podium. After the first round, the German was still ahead of him in third place. In Tande (138.5 / 138), which also took the podium for the first time this winter, Kraft was 5.7 strength points. Granerud (140/138) was 8.1 points ahead of the defending World Cup champion, who was apparently no longer particularly affected by his back problems.
“Of course I am mega happy with the podium after this difficult season and after so many jumps. Now I am really very empty and physically tired. Today I squeezed it like a raisin, so I am mega happy that it worked”, declared force . But now I have to relax a bit, added the 27-year-old, who had announced that he would skip the next World Cup in Zakopane.
“You have to be patient”
Kraft did a “great job” again in tough wind conditions, ÖSV head coach Andreas Widhölzl noted. “It was an indulgent weekend with a podium, and we go home satisfied. But there is still a lot to do, everything is possible, you just have to be patient,” said Widhölzl.
The second best Austrian was Daniel Huber in 10th place, who improved significantly with a strong jump from 16th in the final. Michael Hayböck finished 14th, Philipp Aschenwald did not pass 27th. Thomas Lackner also scored World Cup points in 29th place.
In the overall ranking, Huber is only eleventh and remains the best of the Austrians who suffered the crown in December, Kraft remains in 15th place. At the top, Granerud extended his lead over Eisenbichler to 264 points, while Stoch remains third, more than 300 points behind the Norwegian. The Pole will start another attack in his 40th World Cup win at his home competition in Zakopane next weekend. (apa)
