[ad_1]
UNSTOPPABLE: Halvor Egner Granerud displays formidable form shortly before the World Ski Championships, where he is among Norway’s strongest medal cards. Photo: CLEMENS BILAN / EPA
Halvor Egner Granerud (24) won for the fourth time in a row. At Klingentahl, he rounded off the double-digit number of World Cup wins this season and in his career overall.
Halvor Egner Granerud has had a season of adventures. The 24-year-old started the season with a poor record, but with his first ten World Cup victories, he is already among the winningest Norwegians of all time in the World Cup circus.
On Sunday, he achieved his fourth consecutive victory and touched Anders Jacobsen’s ten World Cup victories. Now only Roar Ljøkelsøy (11) has more in the history of Norwegian jumping.
In a single season, Petr Prevc holds the record for the most wins (15). It happened in the 2015/16 season. Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria has the most singles victories (53) of all time; there is still a long way to go.
also read
Granerud’s dream season: jumped by more than 1.6 million crowns
Egner Granerud had the worst conditions among the best in the first half, but still floated to second place and was on the shooting range for another victory at Klingentahl. Robert Johansson was also leading the way in fifth place before everything had to be decided.
In the second half, Dawid Kubacki spooked the best with a monstrous 146-meter jump, just half a meter behind the record for the hill at Klingentahl. But the jump was more of a warning of what to expect, because there were many who floated away in the final round.
The jury kept slowing down, but that didn’t stop the jumpers. Bor Pavlovic also jumped 146 meters, putting pressure on the last five at the top.
also read
Eirin Kvandal to the hospital after an ugly fall: – He is conscious
When Egner Granerud was about to jump, Alexander Stöckl opted to slow down to ledge eight, lower than anyone else in Sunday’s jump race. The Norwegian star was unaffected by the pressure and jumped ahead of Pavlovcic with a jump of 140.5 meters.
– This is such a wild level! It’s a perfect jump from Granerud, shouted NRK’s Johan Remen Evensen, who praised Stöckl’s tactical maneuver.
– I sit and follow the wind, and ledge nine is low speed on that hill. I’ve never come across that, but he goes down and has faith in practitioners. He had a heart in his throat. It is very difficult to do, says the commentator.
– It turns out to be a stroke of genius that ensures victory, adds Remen Evensen.
For NTB, the coach explains the move.
– There were slightly different conditions on the ground. At first it was calm, but then it sped up. I chose to go down a ledge both in terms of safety and that he could make an impact with a slightly shorter jump, national team manager Stöckl told NTB.
Only Markus Eisenbichler remained on top after Egner Granerud, but the German failed to overtake the Norwegian. Robert Johansson jumped one spot and finished as number four. Daniel André Tande (13) and Thomas Aasen Markeng (29) also skipped the final round.
also read
Granerud will learn from Lundby and Riiber: – Curious about what goes through their heads
There are nine races remaining from this year’s World Cup season. Remen Evensen believes that Egner Granerud surpasses Ljøkelsøy and endorses the record of World Cup victories this year.
– I’m pretty sure of that. He has struggled in Zakopane, where he will jump next time, so I’m a bit excited if he touches Ljøkelsøy there. But there will be more opportunities later in the season. Hopefully he also has a very long career ahead of him, says the NRK commentator.
