Four Hills: Kobayashi seals grand slam victory
January 6, 2019
Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi has become only the third ski jumper to win the Four Hills title with a grand slam of victories at all its four stops.
The 22-year-old sensation roared from fourth after the first round to victory at the final stop in Bischofshofen on Sunday, to go with earlier top spots in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck.
German Sven Hannawald in 2001-2002 and Poland's Kamil Stoch last season are the only other jumpers in 67 Four Hills events to achieve the grand slam. Kobayashi is also the second Japanese man to win the competition, following Kazuyoshi Funaki in 1997-1998.
In the day's other major Nordic skiing event, Norwegians Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo and Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg completed first career wins in cross-country's Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Germans round out top 3
In Bischofshofen, Kobayashi soared from fourth place after a first-round 135 meters to first with 137.5 meters and 282.1 points, beating Poland's Dawid Kubacki and Austrian Stefan Kraft on the day.
Overall, the 22-year-old amassed 1,098.0 points from the victories in Oberstdorf, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen to win by 62.1 points from German Markus Eisenbichler. Another German, Stephan Leyhe was third overall.
"I am happy to be the first Japanese to win all four events," Kobayashi said.
mds/cmk (dpa, AFP)