Predazzo, Italy – Slovenia’s Domen Prevc secured gold in the men’s large hill ski jumping competition at the Olympic Games on Saturday, leaving the Austrian team still searching for a medal in the event. Jan Hörl came closest for Austria, finishing fifth, a mere 4.3 points shy of a podium finish.
Prevc’s winning jump measured 141.5 meters, surpassing Japan’s Ren Nikaido, who claimed silver with a jump of 134.7 meters, by 6.8 points. Poland’s Kacper Tomasiak rounded out the podium with a bronze medal.
Hörl’s performance, whereas strong, wasn’t enough to break Austria’s Olympic drought in ski jumping. Stephan Embacher also contributed to the Austrian effort, securing seventh place. The team’s hopes suffered a blow with the disqualification of Daniel Tschofenig after an eighth-place finish in the first round; officials cited an issue with the size of his ski boots as the reason for the disqualification.
Stefan Kraft, a veteran of the Austrian team, failed to reach the final round, finishing 37th in the qualifying round. “I just didn’t get into a rhythm here,” Kraft stated after his early exit. “I’ve never experienced not hitting the K-point on a hill before. It’s painful, but that’s sport. I didn’t feel comfortable in the inrun, but I still attacked in the competition. It didn’t perform out.”
The Austrian ski jumping delegation will now focus on the team event, hoping to finally secure a medal at these Olympic Games. Hörl and Embacher are expected to be key members of the Austrian team in the upcoming competition.
