Eric Frenzel is back in time for the season highlight. Having previously struggled with major problems in jumping this season and thus only achieved very isolated top 10 results, he had a relatively good feeling even before jumping on the large hill. "I didn't get the knack yet, but I feel that I am very close to it, there is not much missing" said Eric Frenzel after yesterday's training on the relatively unknown hill. In today's competition, he showed his best jump of the winter at 130.5 meters, but he was also lucky with the conditions and had especially in the lower part a lot of headwind. So he could jump far down, though his jump was far from optimal, he slightly tilted in the flight sideways. After his jump, he could hardly believe his luck and shook his head in the Leader's Box again and again with a big smile on his face. After his victory in the jumping round was confirmed, he said: "I'm surprised, because now I'm the first to go out, I have not experienced that for a long time. That's a good starting position and let's see what happens."
With a few seconds ahead of the Austrians Mario Seidl (AUT, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) and Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT) and Jan Schmid (NOR), the German went into the cross-country race and started carefully in the competition, so the quartet was together very soon. At least the Austrians alternated with Eric Frenzel in the lead, while Jan Schmid always skied in fourth place and attacked only in the middle of the last lap in the penultimate climb, but could not open a gap. After the downhill Frenzel attacked and increased his lead in the short last climb and the descent into the stadium so much that he could celebrate on the entire home straight. At the finish, the new world champion fell into the snow overwhelmed of emotions and said shortly afterwards: "If I had been asked this morning if I can become world champion today, I would have said chillingly: 'First wait and relaxe and then we'll see'. I wanted to take positive things, have fun and take it as it comes. It was a terrific day, everything was fine, great ski and a bit of luck." Mario Seidl dropped back during the attacks in the final lap and had to say goodbye to the medals. He finished fourth, just a few seconds ahead of overall World Cup winner Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR, Fischer skis, bindings and boots), who came up to 20 seconds as best skier out of a chase group after being one minute behind after the jump. A few meters behind him, Akito Watabe (JPN, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) crossed the finish line in sixth. Johannes Rydzek (GER, Fischer skis, bindings and boots) took ninth place ahead of Bernhard Gruber (AUT, Fischer skis, bindings and boots).
