SKI JUMPING: Slovenia's Prevc sets pace in Four Hills with Oberstdorf victory

OBERSTDORF, Germany — Domen Prevc underlined his Olympic credentials after dominating the opening leg of the Four Hills Tournament in Oberstdorf on Monday.

The Slovenian led after the first round with a jump of 141.5 meters. Although he went 1.5 meters shorter in the final round, Austria’s Daniel Tschofenig was unable to close the gap and had to settle for second place. Germany’s Felix Hoffmann completed the podium in third.

Prevc became the first Slovenian male ski jumper to win in Oberstdorf, finishing with a commanding 17.5-point margin over Tschofenig.

“I finally managed to break the curse for Slovenian men here,” Prevc said. “I heard this is the first win for a Slovenian guy in Oberstdorf. I am super happy I managed to do two good jumps.”

The victory gives Prevc a strong early advantage in the tournament, following in the footsteps of his older brother Peter, who won the overall Four Hills Tournament in 2016.

The Four Hills Tournament is one of ski jumping’s most prestigious competitions, consisting of four World Cup events held annually in Germany and Austria since 1953. The next leg will take place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on January 1.

The Winter Olympics will be held from February 6 to 22, co-hosted by Milan and the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

-Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Christian Radnedge/Reuters