The overall World Cup leader from Salzburg celebrated his seventh win of the season in Poland on Sunday ahead of the German Andreas Wellinger and the Slovenian Anze Lanisek and surpassed the Finnish Janne Ahonen with the 109th individual podium place. The ÖSV Eagles also secured victory in the newly created Poland tour.
“I’ve heard that a lot now, 109. I didn’t stay completely relaxed, I was a bit nervous. To be at the top of this list alone is something very special, something beautiful. So consistent over so many years “To collect so many podiums is amazing. I’m a bit speechless,” said Kraft in an ORF interview following his 37th World Cup victory. The 30-year-old overtook the previous record holder Ahonen (108), his former idol, with the eleventh podium place in the 14th competition of the season.
Michael Hayböck in fourth, Bergisel winner Jan Hörl in sixth and Manuel Fettner in seventh rounded off an excellent team result for the red-white-red jumpers. The 18-year-old Stephan Embacher once once more tested his talent in 13th place in his third World Cup competition and achieved his best result. With this, ÖSV head coach Andreas Widhölzl’s protégés gained plenty of self-confidence for the upcoming Ski Flying World Championships at Kulm in Styria from Friday. “I hope that things go as well there. That’s what I like to do most,” emphasized Kraft, the current world record holder with 253.5 meters.
Won overall ranking
Austria also won the overall ranking of the “PolSKI Tour” following the competitions in Wisla and Zakopane with a lead of 9.9 points over Slovenia. The jumping in Szczyrk had to be canceled on Wednesday due to strong winds.
In Zakopane, Kraft landed at 137 m in the first round and jumped three meters shorter than Hörl. However, due to the poorer tailwind conditions, the Pongauer received more wind points and thus secured the half-time lead over his compatriot. Meanwhile, Clemens Aigner botched his first jump and, in 42nd place, did not make it into the final of the top 30. There, Kraft held his nerve and remained confident with a jump on 134 m, ahead of Wellinger (-4.5 points) and Lanisek (-5, 0). Hörl missed the podium with a jump of 133 m.
