Prevc celebrates victory over “very strong” rival Maruyama

World champion Nika Prevc (SLO) delivered another top performance to reduce Nozomi Maruyama’s World Cup lead, winning the second day of competition in Klingenthal, Germany.

After Maruyama edged Prevc by just one point in Friday’s contest—her fourth win in the first seven events of the 2025/26 season—she again led the morning qualification. Prevc answered decisively in the competition with commanding jumps of 135 m and 138 m for a total of 294.1 points. Maruyama finished second on 290.1, while Norway’s Anna Strøm completed the podium with 272.4.

“Klingenthal isn’t a hill I feel strong and confident on, so I need time to figure it out, but I’m happy with the result,” Prevc told FIS. “This weekend hasn’t changed the overall standings much; Nozomi is very strong, so I congratulate her.”

Fog greeted the early hours at Vogtland Arena, but conditions were otherwise good with low winds and an entertaining qualification round. Germany’s women, buoyed by recent training and a home crowd, impressed in the first round: Agnes Reisch and Selina Freitag sat fourth and fifth, with seven-time world champion Katharina Schmid seventh.

Norway’s Eirin Maria Kvandal, seeking consistency after a strong 2024/25 that included two team golds and an individual world bronze at Trondheim 2025, followed a 17th place on Friday with 29th on Saturday. Austria’s Lisa Eder, third on Friday, ranked 11th after round one in the second event and could not reach the podium.

Strøm, winner of the first Wisła World Cup earlier in December, held third after the first series, narrowly ahead of Reisch and Freitag. Ringo Miyajima (JPN) and Nika Vodan (SLO) made the biggest second-round gains, climbing four places each to 13th and eighth respectively.

In the decisive final jumps, Freitag’s 131 m moved her ahead of Reisch, but Strøm answered with 131.5 m (141.1 pts) to take the lead with only Maruyama and Prevc remaining. Maruyama then landed an excellent 135 m (146.2 pts), but Prevc—already a two-time Crystal Globe winner, double Two Nights Tour champion, and world champion—sealed victory with the longest and highest-scoring jump of the day.

Event schedule highlights (CET): - 13 Dec 2025: Men’s Trial Round 14:45; Men’s LH Competition 15:45 - 14 Dec 2025: Men’s LH Qualification 14:30; Men’s LH Competition 16:00

The Klingenthal weekend underscored the season-long duel between Prevc and Maruyama, who together have won seven of the eight women’s World Cup events so far.