Andreas Wellinger is RAW AIR Champion

Ryoyu Kobayashi won the opening event of the Raw Air Tour at Holmenkollen in Oslo, the first ski jumping competition following a widely discussed cheating scandal. Several German ski jumpers fought for podium positions, with Karl Geiger delivering a particularly strong performance.

With jumps of 129.5 and 127 meters, Kobayashi secured the victory at the famous Holmenkollen, scoring a total of 264.1 points. The 28-year-old Japanese jumper comfortably outperformed Austria’s Jan Hörl, who reached 126 and 129 meters (253.3 points). Karl Geiger also landed on the podium with jumps of 126 and 128 meters, earning 252.4 points for third place. Kobayashi laid the foundation for his third victory of the season - and his first outside Japan - in the first round, where his best jump gave him a lead of 7.4 points. Since his competitors were unable to fully match his performance, he even extended his advantage to 10.8 points.

The opening competition of the Raw Air Tour took place under the shadow of recent allegations against the Norwegian team. Just hours before the event, the International Ski Federation (FIS) announced that, in addition to Marius Lindvik and Johann Andre Forfang, three more Norwegian athletes - Kristoffer Eriksen Sundal, Robin Pedersen, and Robert Johansson - were suspended due to suspected manipulation.

Despite the turmoil of the past few days, the German ski jumpers remained focused. Alongside Karl Geiger, Philipp Raimund delivered a strong performance, finishing fifth with jumps of 129.5 and 129 meters, tied with Slovenia’s Domen Prevc. Andreas Wellinger, who had been in second place after the first round with a 125.5-meter jump, dropped to seventh after a 125-meter jump in the final.

Andreas Wellinger claimed victory in the first of two ski flying competitions in Vikersund, part of the Raw Air Tour. With flights of 228 and 229.5 meters, he scored a total of 436.1 points, decisively defeating Timi Zajc, who managed 234 and 208 meters (427.8 points). Another Slovenian, Anze Lanisek, took third place with jumps of 208 and 225 meters (422.7 points).

Wellinger had already secured the lead in the first round, ahead of Zajc and Ryoyu Kobayashi. In the final, he remained composed, crossing the virtual green line on the hill and celebrating another major triumph just two weeks after winning silver at the Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim.

Earlier, Domen Prevc, who had been considered the top favorite following his performances in training and qualification, provided a moment of shock. The 25-year-old Slovenian, who had been fourth after a first-round jump of 219.5 meters, crashed upon landing after flying an impressive 239 meters. Despite the fall, he remained uninjured and finished in fifth place.

The Austrian team, which had been strong in recent months, played only a minor role in the fight for the podium. The best Austrian finisher was Stefan Kraft in sixth place with jumps of 205.5 and 220 meters. Jan Hörl placed eighth, while Four Hills Tournament winner and overall World Cup leader Daniel Tschofenig continued to struggle in ski flying, finishing 14th.

Domen Prevc set a new personal record to win the ski flying event in Vikersund. Andreas Wellinger secured a podium finish and became the first German to win the overall Raw Air Tour.

With a new personal best of 247 meters and a total of 214.5 points, Domen Prevc claimed victory on Sunday evening. Due to prior delays, the second round was not held. Andreas Wellinger flew 230.5 meters, earning 199.2 points to finish second, securing the overall Raw Air Tour victory. Third place went to Ryoyu Kobayashi with 222 meters and 191.2 points.

Anze Lanisek finished fifth, making him the second-best Slovenian, just 0.6 points behind fourth-placed Stefan Kraft, the best Austrian. With Jan Hörl and Manuel Fettner in sixth and ninth place, two more Austrian jumpers made it into the top ten. Karl Geiger secured a solid tenth place, just behind the surprisingly strong Yukiya Sato from Japan. Switzerland’s Gregor Deschwanden also delivered a strong performance, finishing seventh as the best Swiss jumper.

Andreas Wellinger, who became the first German to win the overall title, reflected on his performance, stating that his jump was not as clean as the previous day's. He admitted that he had been slightly off at the take-off but managed to adjust in the air, though the jump remained a struggle. However, he emphasized that it had been an incredible weekend and that he had felt good from the start. He also appreciated Domen Prevc’s acknowledgment that Wellinger had deserved the overall victory, especially after having it taken from him in the first year of the competition.

The qualification before the competition had to be canceled early, allowing all 53 participants to compete in the first round. Additionally, the planned three-round Raw Air final, which was supposed to feature 30, 20, and 10 competitors in separate rounds, was abandoned.