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Du grand Ryoyu Kobayashi
Certain de remporter le général du Grand Prix avant même le début de cet ultime concours, suite au forfait de Jan Hoerl (AUT), Halvor Egner Granerud pouvait se faire plaisir sans ressentir la moindre pression.
Toujours en pleine confiance le vainqueur en titre de la coupe du monde a brillé sur ce grand HS 140 de Klingenthal, pour le plus grand bonheur d'un public enfin autorisé.
Son deuxième saut à 140m était remarquable mais pour gagner aujourd'hui il fallait réussir deux fois pareille longueur. Un exploit réalisé avec brio par un Ryoyu Kobayashi des grands jours.
Avec 138m et 140m, et des notes remarquables, le Japonais va s'offrir un succès indiscutable, obtenu avec 24 points d'avance sur Granerud et 29 points sur Johan Andre Forfang, autre Norvégien.
Dawid Kubacki (POL) prend la 4e place devant le jeune Allemand, 21 ans, Constantin Schmid. Les Norvégiens sont cinq parmi les douze premiers.
On note aussi la 10e place du Suisse Gregor Deschwanden et le génial 13e rang du Russe Daniil Sadreev, tout juste 18 ans.
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Les réactions
Ryoyu Kobayshi (JPN):
"Last winter I always only had one good jump, today I was able to show two good jumps. I'm really looking forward to the winter season and I'm on the right track. Any of the Top 10 jumpers can go far and I'm looking forward to tough competitions.
In our team we help and support each other, we have a good team spirit and work well together. I'm especially looking forward to Ski Flying next winter, but of course the Winter Olympics are also a big goal."
Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR):
"My summer season looks really good on paper, four competitions and the second place today was my worst result. It looks really good, but there have been ups and downs. I was jumping really well in Chaikovsky, but it was not the way I wanted so I've been working to change that.
When I get it right, it will pay off, but when you are changing things you also need to expect some bad jumps. My goal for the winter is to jump better than last year, looking at how Ryoyu is jumping now I think that's what's needed. I'll have to work hard to beat him and I'll do my best."
Johann Andre Forfang (NOR):
"I'm really satisfied with my result here in Klingenthal. I had a difficult trial round where I only jumped 71 m and almost fell, so I think that this competition couldn't have gone much better for me.
Such a result improves the self-confidence towards the winter, so hopefully I'll have a better start this winter than last year. I've been looking forward to the 2022 Olympic for over ten years now, it has always been the biggest goal of my career so I'm excited for the winter."
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