FIS | Tschofenig and Hoerl seek steps towards Crystal Globe success

With all-conquering Nika Prevc (SLO) having already ensured the women’s Crystal Globe will be staying in Slovenia for a second successive season, attention now switches to the battle for the men’s FIS Ski Jumping World Cup crown.

Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) currently holds a 94-point lead over countryman Jan Hoerl and while he cannot secure the title outright in Lahti (FIN), victory in the penultimate World Cup venue of the season for the men would put him in an incredibly strong position.

The 2025 Four Hills Tournament winner is though struggling for form.

Despite a stunning haul of eight winners medals, together with a total of 15 podium finishes, the Austrian has been unable to attain an individual top-three result across seven races since his last win in early February.

Tschofenig finished 14th and 15th at the Vikersund World Cup last weekend, while he was also ninth and 21st at the World Championships earlier in March.

So advantage Hoerl? Well, the Beijing 2022 Olympic team gold medalist is also currently enduring something of a slump and there is no guarantee he will be able to make up the required ground in the final stretch of the season.

He finished sixth and eighth last time out in Vikersund (NOR), but will hope that was just a ‘blip’ in his form-book, given he claimed World silver and bronze medals at the World Championships in early March.

Away from the two lead overall contenders, other key ones-to-watch when it comes to the podium places at the Lahti Ski Games include Andreas Wellinger (GER) and Domen Prevc (SLO), who won a race each in Vikersund.

The challenge posed by Japanese superstar Ryoyu Kobayashi also cannot be overlooked.

For the hosts, Finland’s 14-strong ski jumping line-up for the Lahti Ski Games includes an equal split of male and female athletes, with Antti Aalto, Henri Kavilo, Tomas Kuisma, Niko Kytosaho, Eetu Nousiainen, Vilho Palosaari and Kasperi Valto.

FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Lahti (FIN) - Program:

20 March 14:30 – Training Women
16:10 – Start Qualification Women’s LH
17:10 – Start Competition Women’s LH
21 March 14:00 – Trial Round Women 14:50 – Start Competition Women’s LH
22 March 13:15 – Training Men
15:00 – Start Qualification Men’s LH
16:35 – Start Competition Men’s LH
23 March 15:30 – Trial Round Men
16:30 – Super Team Men LH

All times are displayed in Central European Time (CET) and are subject to change.

Lahti World Cup Facts & Figures:

• The Salpausselkä ski jumping venue first hosted a Lahti Ski Games in 1923, a year before the first Olympic Winter Games took place in Chamonix (FRA).
• It hosted an FIS Ski Jumping World Cup contest for the first time in 1980, while it has also held World Championship events seven times between 1926 and the most recent edition, in 2017.
• Lovro Kos (SLO) won the first Men's World Cup ahead of Andreas Wellinger (GER) and Ryoyu Kobayashi (JPN) last season.
• Jan Hoerl (AUT) won the second Men's World Cup ahead of Peter Prevc (SLO) and Aleksander Zniszczol (POL) last season.