Olympic ski jumping champion Andreas Wellinger has started in the first World Cup after the Winter Games of Pyeongchang.
In the qualification in the Finnish Lahti Wellinger came seventh and was thus only fourth-best of the strong German jumpers.
The 22-year-old Ruhpoldinger, who won gold from the normal jump in Pyeongchang, flew from the 2017 World Championship jump to 123.0 m and thus significantly shorter than qualification winner Kamil Stoch from Poland (134.5), the Olympic champion in large jumping.
Six days after the end of the successful winter games for the DSV eagles, Markus Eisenbichler (Siegsdorf), who had not been in the silver team of South Korea, was third behind Stoch and his compatriot Dawid Kubacki in the individual competition on Sunday (15.30 CET). Previously, on Saturday (16.30 hrs CET/each ARD and Eurosport) there will be a team jumping competition.
Stephan Leyhe (Willingen) came fourth, Karl Geiger (Oberstdorf) came fifth. Richard Friday (Aue) weakened as 15. but like Constantin Schmid (Oberaudorf) he reached 21st place. and Pius Paschke (Kiefersfelden) as 28th, who both had not been in the Olympic squad, entered the competition of the best 50. Japan’s former champion Noriaki Kasai was eliminated in 56th place.
Freitag and Wellinger still have the chance to win the overall World Cup as fourth German after Jens Weißflog (1983/84), Martin Schmitt (1998/99 and 1999/2000) and Severin Freund (2014/15). The second placed Friday (820 points) and Wellinger are in third place (736) with eleven outstanding jumping events ahead of the leading Polish rider Kamil Stoch (863). There are 100 points for a win.