02/09/26 02:57:00
Printable Page
02/09 14:55 CST Philipp Raimund wins gold in thrilling normal hill ski jump at
Milan Cortina Winter Olympics
Philipp Raimund wins gold in thrilling normal hill ski jump at Milan Cortina
Winter Olympics
By BRIAN MELLEY
Associated Press
PREDAZZO, Italy (AP) --- Philipp Raimund of Germany led two other Olympic
rookies and a veteran of the Games who never reached the podium past a field of
former medalists and world champions to win gold in the men's normal hill ski
jump at the Milan Cortina Winter Games on Monday.
With a best jump of 106.5 meters and 274.1 points, Raimund beat Kacper Tomasiak
of Poland, who won silver, and Ren Nikaido of Japan who tied with Gregor
Deschwanden of Switzerland for the bronze in a thrilling event that came down
to the last jump.
Raimund was ranked sixth in the world coming into his first Olympics, with his
best result a fourth place in the world championships in the team event and one
win in the World Cup circuit.
After the first round, Raimund was in first, Valentin Foubert of France was
second and Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal of Norway was third.
But Nikaido then landed at 106.5 meters in his final jump, pumping his fist at
the result, followed by Deschwanden and Tomasiak who both reached 107 meters.
Foubert and Sundal could not beat those jumps.
Raimund, who was jumping last, needed a big jump and delivered, earning high
points for his style.
Deschwanden was the only veteran of the four, competing in his fourth Olympics.
His best result was eighth in large hill team event in 2022 in Beijing and
sixth in the same event at the 2023 world championships.
The four beat out a field including defending champion Ryoyu Kobayashi of
Japan, the reigning world champion Marius Lindvik of Norway, two-time Olympic
gold medalist Andreas Wellinger and Kamil Stoch, Poland's most successful ski
jumper who owns three Olympic gold medals.
They also beat Domen Prevc, from a powerhouse Slovenian family of decorated ski
jumpers, who entered the event as defending world champion on the large hill
and the top-ranked skier in the World Cup this season.
Prevc is trying to join his sister, Nika, in becoming the first brother-sister
pair to medal in ski jumping at the same Olympics.
Nika Prevc, a defending world champion on both hills and World Cup leader this
season, took the silver medal Saturday in the women's normal hill competition.
The normal hill is not Domen Prevc's strength, though he landed his best jump
on his final attempt at 105 meters and ended up in sixth place. He is likely to
join his sister in the mixed team event Tuesday.
___
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
|
