Hörl wins in Innsbruck ahead of Kobayashi who takes Four Hills lead

Jan Hörl delighted an Austrian home crowd with victory at the third stop of the Four Hills tournament on Wednesday while Ryoyu Kobasyashi took the overall lead with another runner-up spot.

Hörl soared 134 and 127.5 metres in difficult wind conditions at Innsbruck's Bergisel venue to claim his second career victory 8.8 points ahead of Japan's Kobayashi. Michael Hayböck gave Austria more joy in third.

Kobayashi had also come second at the first two stops in Oberstdorf and Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and as new overall leader will be setting his sights on a third Four Hills title, the others from 2019 and 2022, in Saturday's finale in Bischofshofen.

Kobayashi moved ahead of German Andreas Wellinger, who came fifth on the day after struggling in qualifying, but his lead is a mere 4.8 points.

That translates into 2.5 metres, a very small margin given that Bischofshofen is the biggest hill of the four. Hörl moved ahead of compatriot World Cup leader Stefan Kraft in the Four Hills list, 23.6 points behind Kobayashi.

"Today was tough but it was the same situation for everyone. I had two good jumps," Kobayashi told Eurosport. "The overall lead changes nothing."

Oberstdorf winner Wellinger remains upbeat that he can give Germany a first Four Hills title since 2002 after coming second overall in 2018.

"I have to focus on my own performance. The 4.8 points are nothing. I hope the conditions will be good and I will attack," he said.

"I am quite satisfied. I had my best jumps in the competition. I knew it would be a bit of a wind lottery."

Earlier Tuesday, freshly crowned women's Two Nights Tour winner Nika Prevc recorded 96.5m and 92m at the Austrian venue of Villach for her third season victory.

The 18-year-old Slovenian topped the podium ahead of Austrian Eva Pinkelnig and Canadian jumper Abigail Strate.