Olympic champions Fabian Rießle and Johannes Rydzek have secured a German double victory in the Nordic combined at the home World Cup in Klingenthal.
Rießle won the sprint against his team mate and celebrated his third serial success as well as the fourth of the season. Akito Watabe from Japan took third place to replace Eric Frenzel prematurely as the overall World Cup winner.
One day after his start-finish victory, Rießle (Breitnau) started from third place this time, where he and Rydzek (Oberstdorf) caught up with the leading Watabe after eight of the ten kilometres. A little later the duo also left the Japanese before Rießle could not be stopped on the last few meters. It was Germany’s fourth double victory of the winter.
For Frenzel (Oberwiesenthal) only the 26. Rank. Because the jumping had to be stopped in the morning due to strong wind, the provisional results of Friday were used for the starting order. There Frenzel had flown with a lot of wind pitch only at 110.5 m.
Third-best German was Manuel Faißt (Baiersbronn) in ninth place. Björn Kircheisen (Johanngeorgenstadt), who had announced his retirement shortly before the start of the coming weekend, finished 25th. Space. Olympic team winner Vinzenz Geiger (Oberstdorf) had to make do with position 22.
In the fight for the crystal ball Watabe made the preliminary decision by staying ahead of his competitor Jan Schmid (Norway). Before the season finale in Schonach next weekend Watabe lies with 1295 points ahead of Schmid (1085). Rießle (991) and Rydzek (826) follow in third and fourth place, while Frenzel (589), who was dethroned after five consecutive triumphs, is seventh.