All the news from the world of winter sports with a first Four Hills Tournament title for ski jumper Daniel Tschofenig and slalom victory for Zrinka Ljutić.
Welcome to our weekly round-up of the thrilling world of winter sports, where the excitement of the FIS events and other global competitions has kept fans on the edge of their seats. From the snow-covered slopes to the icy tracks, here’s your dose of high-speed action, skilful manoeuvres and thrilling performances from around the world
January 6 – Bischofshofen, Austria
Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) -1st- With a sensational final-round performance, Tschofenig ended Austria’s 10-year wait for a Four Hills Tournament champion by jumping to victory on home soil in Bischofshofen, beating compatriots Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft to the famed Golden Eagle trophy.
Just 1.3 points separated the trio following the first three events, with Kraft leading into the final showdown and Tschofenig in third. The 22-year-old, who won his first Four Hills event days earlier in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, needed to deliver one his best-ever jumps to have a chance of victory. He did just that in second round, flying 140.5m to give him an overall total of 308.6 points.
With Hörl dropping points for a heavy landing on his second jump and Kraft failing to match his rivals’ distance after wind delay, Tschofenig soared to not only the individual Bischofshofen win, but jumped past his two rivals to claim his first Four Hills Tournament victory on 1194.4 points to runner-up Hörl’s 1193 and Karl’s 1190.3.
“It’s unbelievable. I was trying so much on the hill, but each jump was so painful and I was really struggling in training, but as the competition came it clicked and I knew what I had to do,” said Tschofenig, who also took his World Cup win-tally to three and now leads the overall series standings ahead of Hörl.
January 3 – Innsbruck, Austria
Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) -3rd- Two days after winning his first Four Hills Tournament at the second round of the 20224/25 series in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Daniel Tschofenig maintained his challenge for a first ‘Golden Eagle’ title by finishing third in Innsbruck.
The 22-year-old current overall World Cup points leader finished on 128.7 points behind Olympic champion Stefan Kraft and Jan Hörl in an Austrian 1–2-3, which set up a nail-biting final event in Bischofshofen on January 6. Kraft holds The Four Hills series lead coming into the Epiphany event on 887.1 points, but with Hörl on 886.5 and Tschofenig 885.8 points, it will be a true winner beats all final in Austria.
January 1 – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Daniel Tschofenig (AUT) -1st- Tschofenig continued Austria’s winning run in the 2024/25 Four Hills Tournament on a record-breaking New Year’s Day at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The 22-year-old banked his third season victory in front of 22,000 spectators thanks to huge jumps of 141.5m and 143m to see off Swiss Gregor Deschwanden and fellow Austrian Michael Hayboeck.
FIS World Cup overall leader and current Four Hills leader Tschofenig said: “It was a great competition, two amazing jumps and days like that are unforgettable. It’s a challenge (leading the standings), but I’ll make the best of it because right now it’s just happiness and no pressure.”
January 5 – Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
Zrinka Ljutić (CRO) -1st- 20-year-old rising star Ljutić delivered a blistering second run to score her second World Cup victory in Sunday’s slalom in Slovenia. Just a week after scoring her first-ever World Cup win in Semmering, Austria, fought off the challenge of veteran Swiss skier Wendy Holdener to beat her previously fastest time by 0.16s to secure the win.
“I’m speechless. I didn’t know how well Wendy skied, I had my own idea and I was really focusing on myself. I decided the tempo of the run, how I wanted to ski and I really tried to stick to that vision,” said Ljutić, who now leads both the slalom and overall World Cup standings.
January 4 – Kranjska Gora, Slovenia
Lara Colturi (ALB) -2nd- and Alice Robinson (NZL) -3rd- As Sweden’s Sara Hector dominated Saturday’s Giant Slalom in Kranjska Gora to win by nearly 1.5s, young Albanian talent Lara Colturi and New Zealander Alice Colturi completed the podium in second and third places respectively. This was Colturi’s second World Cup podium finish and her first in GS.
FIS SNOWBOARD BIG AIR WORLD CUP
January 5 – Klagenfurt, Austria
Mari Fukada (JPN) -2nd- Just days after celebrating her 18th birthday, Fukada claimed second place behind Great Britain’s Zoe Brookes at Big Air Klagenfurt with a score of 182.25 points. The Japanese rider was in pole position for most of the evening after scoring 93.50 in run one for a Switch Back Double 1260 Drunk Driver, before Brookes stomped her third and final run to take the lead.
Fukada, who won the opening World Cup round in Chur and finished second behind Brookes at round two in Beijing, is leading the Bir Air World Cup overall standings and sits second behind Brookes in the overall Snowboard Park & Pipe competition.
January 4 – Klagenfurt, Austria
Matěj Švancer (AUT) -3rd- On home snow in at Big Air Klagenfurt, local favourite Matěj Švancer scored his second podium of the season to date. After winning the season-opening Big Air World Cup in Switzerland, this time the Austrian claimed third place behind New Zealand’s Luca Harrington and Frenchman Timothe Sivignon with a score of 175.40 points. This result puts Švancer in fourth position in the overall Freeski Park and Pipe World Cup standings.
