Lanisek extends World Cup lead after wind‑impacted Ruka win

Three-time World Champion Anže Lanišek (SLO) claimed his second successive FIS Ski Jumping World Cup victory in Ruka, Finland. After leading the first round with a 142 m jump for 141 points, worsening and unfair weather conditions—gusty, shifting winds combined with snowfall and rain—forced the jury to cancel the second round, making the first-round classification the final result.

Morning training and qualification were already impacted by wind, with World Champion Domen Prevc (SLO) and 2024/25 Crystal Globe runner-up Jan Hörl (AUT) only narrowly advancing to the main competition. Eight athletes managed second-round starts before the jury halted proceedings.

Lanišek said he stayed calm and capitalized on his first-round opportunity, racing for the first time in the yellow leader’s bib. Japan’s Ren Nikaido produced one of his best career jumps—141 m for 136.4 points—to secure his first-ever individual World Cup podium in second place, while Prevc rebounded from a shaky qualification to finish third (135.2 m / 128 pts).

There were additional personal bests: long-time World Cup competitor Vladimir Zografski (BUL) finished fourth, and Valentin Foubert (FRA) took fifth. FIS Ski Jumping World Cup race director Sandro Pertile explained the decision to stop the second round, citing increasingly unstable wind, mixed precipitation, and reduced inrun speed despite efforts to clear and brush the track.

With Stefan Kraft (AUT) skipping Ruka as he awaits the birth of his first child, Lanišek extends his overall World Cup lead to 86 points over teammate Prevc. The men’s field is scheduled to return for the second World Cup event of the Ruka Nordic weekend on Sunday, with qualification at 10:00 and competition at 15:50 EET (subject to change).