COC-M: First win for Johann Andre Forfang
Strong wind caused some problems at the Continental Cup in Vikersund (NOR) on Saturday. After various delays and restarts due to changes of the inrun gate, the first round could finally start about two hours later than originally planned.
Especially for the Norwegian hosts it was worth the long wait, at the end they could celebrate a win of one of the local heroes. The only 17-year-old Johann Andre Forfang took his first win in the Continental Cup with jumps on 119.5 m and 111.5 m (268.3 points). It was only his seventh competition in this series, the 14th place in Vikersund on Friday was his best result so far.
"I've jumped well for longer period now, so the feeling was good when I sat on top. It was good to get two good jumps in a competition. The goal for the weekend was to take the points among top 30, he says modestly Saturday's race was the last race for Forfang this season. I do not think I'm going to the COC competition in Russia next weekend, so it could not have been a better end of my season", said Forfang.
Only the tiny margin of 0.1 points behind the winner, Manuel Poppinger finished second. The Austrian was in the lead after the first round with the longest jump of the day on 120.5 m, with 111 m in the final he came in close behind the young Norwegian, but still achieved his best result this winter. "I've never won before, so the second place today is a very good result. But I've never been closer to a victory either."
After three German jumpers were among the best four in Friday's event, only one of them was in the Top 10 on Saturday, but he stood on the podium once again. Marinus Kraus, with 115.5 m fifth after the first jump, landed on the same distance in the final, moved up two places and finished third with 265.3 points. "I've had a good weekend and are obviously happy with my competitions", told Kraus.
The winner was not the only Norwegian who showed a convincing performance today. Also Kim Rene Elverum Sorsell (4th), Fredrik Bjerkeengen (8th) and Johan Martin Brandt (10th) showed a very good performance and so they achieved a great team result in front of their home crowd.
Like already in the first competition in Vikersund, Antonin Hajek was the best Czech, he repeated his fifth place of Friday's event today.
Russian Mikhail Maksimochkin was third after the first round with a great jump on 119 m and although he could not defend this position in the final round, he came in sixth and this is by far his best result ever in the COC.
The two Slovenes Anze Semenic, who moved up from 18th to seventh in the final round, and Miran Zupancec (9th) completed the Top 10 on Saturday.
Before the final two competitions of the season next weekend in Nishny Tagil (RUS), Anze Semenic now leads in the overall ranking of the COC with 667 points. His teammate Matic Benedik is second (651 points), followed by Norwegian Atle Pedersen Roensen (647 points).