Kobayashi wins Four Hills for a third time, without a stage win
Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi clinched a third title at the Four Hills tournament without a single stage victory as he came second for the fourth time in Saturday's finale, behind Austrian Stefan Kraft.
World Cup leader Kraft soared 136.5 and 140 metres for victory in front of a home crowd in Bischofshofen, ahead of Kobayashi (137m, 139m) and Anze Lanisek of Slovenia (134.5m, 141m).
Kobayashi led after the first round but did not appear to take every risk in the second as his only title rival Andreas Wellinger of Germany had lost ground in a modest first jump and finished fifth.
The 2022 Olympic champion Kobayashi had also placed second at the first three stops in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck, where he had taken the overall lead from Wellinger.
He is first jumper in 25 years and the ninth overall to get the Four Hills title without a stage win in 72 editions.
"I am delighted. A lot happened today," Kobayashi said in a short first interview.
Kobayashi's previous Four Hills titles were in 2019, when he won at all four stops for the third grand slam in competition history, and in 2022, when he won three of the four events.
Only Finland's Janne Ahonen with five titles and German Jens Weißflog with four have won the prestigious event more often than Kobayashi, who joined German Helmut Recknagel and Bjørn Wirkola of Norway on three titles.
Wellinger had to settle for the runner-up spot like in 2018 as Germany's wait for a first winner since 2002 continues.
The Oberstdorf winner and third-place finisher from Garmisch trailed by only 2.5 metres coming into Bischofshofen but lost all chances with a modest first round jump of 132m.
"I am a bit torn," Wellinger told German broadcasters ARD. "I am overall proud of what I have achieved.
"I started really cool in Oberstdorf and could reproduce it in Garmisch. But funnily enough I could then not do it on the hills where I had done better in the past."
He added in reference to the winner: "Ryoyu is a damn good ski jumper and did it best."
The 2015 winner Kraft was third overall after losing his chances early in the event. But he extended his World Cup lead again courtesy of his sixth season victory.
