Daniel Tschofenig tops all-Austrian podium in World Cup return

Reigning Crystal Globe holder Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) began his title defense in perfect fashion by winning the first men’s FIS Ski Jumping World Cup of the 2025/26 season in Lillehammer, Norway, completing an all-Austrian podium with Jan Hoerl in second and Stefan Kraft in third.

Returning from a knee injury that limited his summer Grand Prix participation and training, Tschofenig compiled 311.5 points from two jumps. Hoerl finished 4.3 points behind, with Kraft a further 0.9 points back. Tschofenig called it “the most surprising win,” noting the rapidly changing winds between head- and tailwind made conditions tricky but that the right decisions were taken.

The season opener reunited many of last winter’s headline names. One year after his shock season-opening victory, Germany’s Pius Paschke failed to advance from qualifying. In contrast, Switzerland’s four-time Olympic champion Simon Ammann extended his record run to a 29th World Cup season, qualifying strongly before placing 41st. He said his form has improved since the Trondheim World Championships.

Among fluctuating performances, Norway’s Johann Andre Forfang slipped from 22nd after the first round to 30th overall, while Japan’s Ren Nikaido fell from 13th to 20th a day after contributing to Japan’s Mixed Team win. Germany’s Felix Hoffmann dropped from third to 10th, whereas Austria’s Manuel Fettner and Bulgaria’s Vladimir Zografski climbed five and six places to ninth and 12th, respectively.

After round one, just 7.9 points covered the top 11. Tschofenig celebrated a 133 m, 158.0-point opener, while Kraft and Slovenia’s Domen Prevc both reached 138 m, with Kraft leading on higher style marks. In worsening second-round winds, Hoerl surged to lead temporarily, but Tschofenig’s 129 m—the longest of the round—pushed him back in front. Prevc’s 126 m left him fourth, and Kraft’s 120 m secured third and extended his streak of World Cup podium finishes to 14 straight seasons.

The Lillehammer World Cup weekend also featured women’s and men’s large hill qualifications and competitions, with all times listed in CET.