Strong start: Austrian mixed ski jumping team podium in Lillehammer

Austria opened the Ski Jumping World Cup season with a podium in Lillehammer, taking third place in the mixed team event. The ÖSV quartet of Julia Mühlbacher, Lisa Eder, Stefan Kraft and anchor Jan Hörl finished behind winners Japan and second‑placed Slovenia, just 10.1 and 1.2 points ahead of the Austrians, respectively. Germany ended 31.5 points behind Austria in fourth, while reigning world champions Norway had to settle for fifth.

The result marked Austria’s 10th consecutive World Cup podium in mixed team competitions, though the team is still chasing a second victory after Titisee‑Neustadt in December 2022. With one more mixed opportunity before the 2026 Winter Games—scheduled for late January in Willingen—the squad took confidence from a strong collective showing.

“We pushed each other. I had a very good day—this is a mega start and I’m excited for more,” Hörl told ORF, noting his landing style marks could have been better. Attention now shifts to the weekend’s two individual events, where Hörl, Kraft and defending overall World Cup winner Daniel Tschofenig are seen as leading contenders.

On the women’s side, Lisa Eder—now Austria’s number one following the retirements of Sara Marita Kramer and Jacqueline Seifriedsberger and the absence of Eva Pinkelnig—also has podium ambitions. “The last weeks weren’t easy. The second jump felt really good. I’m happy I could improve in the competition—it was a step in the right direction,” Eder said.