Granerud took the lead at Hoppuka when Kubacki won the New Years jump race

Halvor Egner Granerud (24) was second in the New Years jump race at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but took the lead in the summary. Dawid Kubacki won the race.

– It’s a bit sad to be so close to winning the coolest race in a year, but I’m very happy with the jumps I’ve done here, Granerud tells Aftenposten after the race.

The Norwegian led the race after a 137-meter jump in the first half. Then Dawid Kubacki attacked. The Pole set a new hill record at half a meter when he made a fantastic 144-meter jump.

Conditions on the ground were so good that Granerud had to wait a long time before getting the green light. The Norwegian finally jumped 136 meters and was second, 7.2 points behind the man who reached the top in last year’s summary. Even though the victory in the traditional race slipped, Granerud can be happy to lead the jumping week.

– Fortunately, Halvor made a similar jump to first place with slightly more demanding conditions. Kubacki had some luck in the last phase of flight and got some air, and he’s extremely good at doing laps. So it’s hard to beat, national team manager Alexander Stöckl tells NRK after the harrowing final round.

Four out of five to the final round

Friday’s race passed without last year’s winner, Marius Lindvik.

The 22-year-old finished third in the inaugural race at Oberstdorf, with a swollen wisdom tooth. When Thursday’s jumpers were due to qualify for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen race, Lindvik was nowhere in sight. I was on my way to the University Clinic in Innsbruck. He was driven there by the manager of the Norwegian national team, Alexander Stöckl. The guardrail bridge has been operated.

It is not known whether Lindvik will be able to participate in Innsbruck or in Bischofshofen.

Therefore, Halvor Egner Granerud is Norway’s main hope.

In the first test, Granerud showed why he has been excellent in ski jumping this winter. He struck with a 137-meter jump and won the duel against fellow countryman Sander Vossan Eriksen. 138.7 points held the lead after the first half, one point ahead of Dawid Kubacki.

– Keep delivering from the top shelf, said NRK jumping expert and former national team jumper Johan Remen Evensen of Granerud.

Robert Johansson, Daniel André Tande and Johann André Forfang also won their duels. Thus, four out of five Norwegians advanced to the final round, while Vossan Eriksen had to continue from the plain.

Giant jump of Forfang

Johansson was the first out of the Norwegians in the final round.

The veteran was in 24th place after jumping 124.5 meters in the first lap. The second jump count of the afternoon was three meters longer. The 30-year-old climbed six spots to No. 18.

After that, a 133.5 meter jump brought Tande’s smile. The Kongsberg jumper was probably excited after a disastrous 75-meter test jump the previous Friday, but after advancing seven and a half meters from the first half, the 26-year-old took the lead.

Forfang would be no worse than his teammates. The 25-year-old from Tromsø jingled with a 139-meter jump. He was stuck in landing and went 3.7 points behind German Karl Geiger.

Kubacki set a new record in the hills

In the end, Granerud was the only one left at the top.

Then the current winner of the jumping week, Dawid Kubacki, had set a new record on the hill with a jump of 144 meters. The Pole even hit, although it was a little deep.

The incredible jump put the 30-year-old in the lead, 21.7 points ahead of compatriot Piotr Zyla. He also pressured Granerud.

On the plain, an excited Forfang squatted in anticipation of Granerud’s final leap. The other Norwegians also followed while Granerud had to wait because the wind conditions were too good.

Granerud could not answer. The 24-year-old jumped a meter shorter in the final round than in the first, 136 meters, and finished second. Granerud took the lead in the summary.