Ski jumping: Friday at the Ski Flying World Championships, second half time – Tande leads the way

On the first day of the World Ski Flying Championships in Oberstdorf, Richard Freitag set course for the medals. Only two weeks after his crash at the Four Hills Tournament, the returnee sailed to 228.0 m and 225.0 m, finishing in second place with 438.7 points.

The lead was taken by the Norwegian Daniel Andre Tande (449.6) and third is the Polish touring triumphant Kamil Stoch (431.8).

“I’m really happy. I haven’t been that nervous for a long time, I have to admit it,”said Freitag in his first competition after the crash in Innsbruck. The decision will be made on Saturday (16.00 hrs/ARD and Eurosport) in two further rounds. Since the Austrian Stefan Kraft, fourth in fourth place with 412.3 points, is clearly behind, Friday may already be able to flirt with a medal.

There was no stopping Tande, who flew twice with a shortened take-off to 212.0 and 227.0 m. Andreas Wellinger (Ruhpolding), who came in at 206.0 m and 207.0 m and finished eighth, is also in good shape. The German record holder Markus Eisenbichler (Siegsdorf/197,5 and 205.5 m) and Stephan Leyhe (Willingen/183.5 and 197.5) follow in twelfth and 19th place.

Wellinger had previously lost his jump record at Tande in the qualification. The Norwegian improved the only one year old record on the Heini-Klopfer-Schanze by half a metre to 238.5 m.”The flight was unbelievable. I knew right after the jump that it would go far,”Tande said.

Local hero Karl Geiger (Oberstdorf) had to watch after a moderate performance in training, because only four players per nation are allowed. This means that Geiger is likely to remain only the substitute’s role in the final team competition on Sunday.