Seifriedsberger ends long wait; Forfang wins with hill record

Austria's Jacqueline Seifriedsberger ended an 11-year victory drought in women's ski jumping and Norwegian Johann Andre Forfang won the men's event with the help of a hill record on Saturday in Germany.

Seifriedsberger recorded 127 and 125 metres in Willingen for 161.4 points. Her only previous World Cup win had come on the day 11 years ago on February 3, 2013, in Sapporo, Japan.

Japan's Sara Takanashi, winner of a record 63 World Cup competitions but without a top spot since March 2022, came second with 119.5m and 130.5m for her first podium of the season.

German multiple world champion Katharina Schmid was third with 119.5m and 130m.

World Cup leader and seven-time season winner Nika Prevc of Slovenia had to settle for 15th after a poor first jump of 103m.

Men's World Cup leader Stefan Kraft of Austria fared even worse a few hours later in driving rain when 39th place saw him miss the second round.

Forgang had no such problems and got his fourth career success, a second in Willingen and first in more than five years with 144m and the hill record 155.5m with 252.7 points.

He was a massive 31 points ahead of Four Hills champion Ryoyu Kobayashi of Japan who had 128m and 148m. Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal was third for Norway.

In Nordic combined skiing in Seefeld, Austria, Norwegians Jarl Magnus Riiber and Ida Marie Hagen repeated their success from Friday on stage two of the Nordic Combined Triple event which concludes on Sunday.