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Markus Eisenbichler narrowly missed his third win of the season
Photo: CLEMENS BILAN / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
Ski jumping world champion Markus Eisenbichler flew onto the podium at the World Cup home game in Klingenthal and underlined his strong form two weeks before the start of the World Cup in Oberstdorf.
In a thrilling competition, the 29-year-old only had to admit defeat to the Norwegian all-time winner Halvor Egner Granerud and the Slovenian Bor Pavlovcic as third.
Eisenbichler had just led after 138.0 meters in the first round, but then had to let ten-time season winners Granerud (288.5) and Pavlovcic (287.8) overtake, despite a strong jump on 141.5 meters with 285.7 points.
Granerud's trainer Alexander Stöckl had successfully gambled and shortened his star's run-up in the second round, so 140.5 meters were enough to win.
The high flyer cannot be defeated at the moment and can hardly be caught in the overall World Cup.
Pavlovcic had flown with a more run-up to 146.0 and thus within half a meter of Michael Uhrmann's hill record (2011).
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Eisenbichler cheered so wildly that he lay down in the snow at the exit of the huge Klingenthal ski jump
Photo: CLEMENS BILAN / EPA-EFE / Shutterstock
“Markus did really well.
It is important that he made two good jumps.
The result is secondary, «said national coach Stefan Horngacher.
Eisenbichler was also happy about his own performance: “It was really good today.
I am just happy about this day.
I can go home happy today, "said the 29-year-old.
Violinist in crisis
The Four Hills Tournament second Karl Geiger, however, lost his lightness, which this winter already brought him the flight world title and an individual victory in the Four Hills Tournament.
After his 32nd place on Saturday, the 27-year-old did not make it into the second round on Sunday and even landed 39th this time. Geiger jumped only 123.5 meters and was the worst athlete of the six Germans.
Before that, the man from Oberstdorf had consistently reached the final for the past two years.
"It's tough.
Again it was nothing.
Then the ski doesn't run in cleanly at the top, the system doesn't close, «said Geiger after his jump on ZDF.
“It's a little bit because of his basic tension,” Horngacher analyzed after the first round on ZDF and explained: “That may be due to the increased strength training we did.
He doesn't find that very fine feeling. "
Geiger is not planning a break before the World Cup in his hometown of Oberstdorf, he wants to start in Zakopane, Poland, and Rasnov, Romania.
“I don't plan to go out.
It's nothing to run from, ”said the man from the Allgäu.
Despite the current low, he dares to catch up with the world's best with competitions.
There are still just under three weeks until the ski jumpers start the World Cup.
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mjm / dpa