Career-best for 18-year-old Kacper Tomasiak amid wind chaos in Engelberg; Kobayashi wins, hill record falls

The FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Engelberg turned into a wind‑blown lottery. After promising qualifications, Poland’s 18‑year‑old Kacper Tomasiak jumped 131 m in difficult conditions to rank fourth after round one—just 0.1 points off the podium—and ultimately finished fifth, matching his best World Cup result so far.

Organizers battled strong, shifting winds that forced repeated start‑gate changes and long breaks. Early on, Lovro Kos crashed on landing but walked away. Among the first strong marks were Sandro Hauswirth and Kevin Bickner (around 130 m), and Paweł Wąsek, who led briefly with 134 m. Maciej Kot and Dawid Kubacki both landed at 119 m in differing conditions, while Piotr Żyła (116.5 m) and Kamil Stoch (120.5 m with over 30 points in wind compensation) faced heavy weather.

The first‑round lead changed hands repeatedly: Jonas Schuster overtook Wąsek, then Johann André Forfang moved ahead. Tomasiak’s 131 m in harsh wind left him 0.1 points behind Forfang. The jump of the day belonged to Austria’s Stephan Embacher, who flew 145 m to set a new hill record, but soft landing and favorable wind meant only seventh after compensation. Last season’s Crystal Globe winner Daniel Tschofenig missed the final. The round ended with Domen Prevc and Philipp Raimund tied for first, Forfang third, and Tomasiak fourth.

In round two, Kot (121.5 m) and Stoch (120 m‑plus in very poor wind) held their places against the field’s fluctuations. Slovenia’s Timi Zajc and Anže Lanišek climbed, and Embacher struck again with 140 m. Wąsek posted 127 m for a provisional podium at that moment, signaling a welcome upturn in form. Felix Hoffmann then surpassed Embacher.

Ryoyu Kobayashi delivered 132 m to seize the lead, and despite Tomasiak’s 126.5 m in tough air, the Pole slipped to third at that stage and finally to fifth as later jumpers slotted in. The podium: Kobayashi first, Domen Prevc second, and Felix Hoffmann third—ending Prevc’s streak of consecutive wins.

Poles in the final classification: Tomasiak 5th, Wąsek 13th, Stoch 18th, Kot 27th; Żyła (42nd) and Kubacki (43rd) missed the final. The day was defined by volatile winds, heavy compensation swings, and a spectacular new hill record from Embacher.