Stefan Kraft won individual gold for the first time at the Ski Flying World Championships on Kulm, the first time for the ÖSV since Gregor Schlierenzauer in 2008. After two heats held on Friday in the Tauplitz/Bad Mitterndorf region, only one heat was carried out on Saturday after a two-hour wind delay. Kraft prevailed 2.2 points ahead of Andreas Wellinger (GER), another 2.5 points behind Timi Zajc (SLO) took bronze. The team competition takes place on Sunday (2 p.m.).
By 12 p.m., many thousands of spectators had already gathered at the Styrian mega ski jump, ultimately there were 18,500 fans. The sun favored the trip to Ausseerland, but the wind spoiled the fun for a long time. The jury postponed the start time in several steps before it actually got started. Kraft jumped from second place to gold, half-time leader Zajc, who was 12.5 points ahead, couldn’t withstand the pressure. For Kraft, it is the third individual World Championship medal in ski flying after bronze in Kulm in 2016 and in Vikersund in Norway in 2022.
It was the first ÖSV triumph in the World Ski Flying Championships, which have been held since 1972, since Gregor Schlierenzauer in Oberstdorf in 2008, meaning there were a total of five red-white-red gold medals. In 1986 Andreas Felder won the Kulm, in 1996 Andreas Goldberger won. Armin Kogler achieved his opening triumph in Planica in 1979.
Zajc’ awarded the second Slovenian triumph at the Kulm World Championships en suite. At the last edition in 2016, his compatriot Peter Prevc won and also set the still valid hill record of 244.0 m. Zajc came closest this time on Friday in the first training round with 238.0 m. Before that, Robert Kranjec won individual gold for Slovenia in Vikersund in 2012. The Slovenians are defending champions in the team competition on Sunday.