Domen Prevc won the qualifying round in Oberstdorf. © APA/afp / PHILIPP GUELLAND

Four Hills Tournament: Prevc warms up in qualifying

Domen Prevc won the first sub-chapter of the Four Hills Tournament. The Slovenian won the qualifying round in Oberstdorf with ease.

28 December 2025

From: apa

Furthermore, defending champion Daniel Tschofenig found his form on Sunday, just in time for the qualification for the Four Hills Tournament opener. The Carinthian finished third in Oberstdorf, behind the dominant favorite Domen Prevc and Germany's Philipp Raimund. Jan Hörl (5th) and Stephan Embacher (6th) also finished in the top ranks. Last year's winner, Stefan Kraft, however, crashed out on the Schattenberg hill, finishing 33rd, but easily qualified for the main competition for the top 50.

World Cup leader Prevc soared to 139,5 meters, leaving the competition more than ten points behind. Tschofenig (131,5 meters) was 11,3 points behind the Slovenian, who has dominated the season so far. Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi (130,5 meters), who had recently won ahead of Prevc in Engelberg, had to settle for seventh place. A prominent casualty of the qualification round was Germany's Karl Geiger, who, after finishing 53rd in the opening competition, will have to watch from the sidelines.

Tschofenig intends to defend his title. © APA/afp / PHILIPP GUELLAND

With the exception of Kraft (116,5), the Austrians showed themselves to be in good form. ÖSV (Austrian Ski Federation) sports director Mario Stecher believes the chances of another Austrian Four Hills Tournament victory remain intact despite the recent mediocre performances in the World Cup. "We've been beaten far below our potential in the last three or four jumps. I think that with Stefan Kraft performing at his usual strength, we can certainly be in the mix. It's clear that Prevc is the clear favorite. But I do think we can be in contention," said Stecher.