Tour already ticked off

Tschofenig: “Didn’t see any chance at all”

Triumph at the tour - Daniel Tschofenig and his sweetheart Alexandria Loutitt can't believe it.(Bild: ANDREAS TROESTER)

Daniel Tschofenig has ended Austria's dry spell at the Four Hills Tournament. The Carinthian won by a wafer-thin margin ahead of Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft - even though he had already checked off the tour.

What a drama! What an atmosphere! And what an incredibly exciting 73rd Four Hills Tournament! In a heart-stopping final, Daniel Tschofenig came out on top in the grand finale in Bischofshofen in the daily and overall rankings ahead of Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft. After eight jumps, the Carinthian had collected 1.4 and 4.1 points more than the two from Salzburg. "It's indescribable! I don't know what to say. I can't even realize it. It's wonderful," beamed the 22-year-old, who was warmly embraced by his girlfriend, Canadian ski jumping world champion Alexandria Loutitt, in the outrun.

Daniel Tschofenig and Alexandria Loutitt(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Things looked anything but good for "Tschofe" for a long time. Before the final jump, he was only third in the overall standings. "I no longer saw any chance for myself," he admitted. Before the high-flyer, supported by 14,300 fans, conjured up a 140.5-metre set with a perfect telemark on the Paul Ausserleitner hill and thus launched another attack on the tour crown!

Daniel Tschofenig(Bild: AFP)

When Hörl, who had wobbled his landing, and Kraft, who was slowed down by the jury and had to wait a long time, stayed behind him and the scoreboard showed Tschofenig in first place, his luck was perfect: "I achieved everything I wanted to achieve. I'm simply over the moon," beamed the new red-white-red ski jumping hero, who was also able to collect prize money of 100,000 Swiss francs (around 106,400 euros) for the overall victory to top it all off.

One of the first people to congratulate the now four-time World Cup winner was former tour triumphant Thomas Morgenstern, someone Tschofenig had looked up to for years. "This is unimaginable! I used to sit at home and cheer him on like there was no tomorrow. Now he's standing there congratulating me."

All Austrian tour winners

1953 Sepp "Bubi" Bradl

74/75 Willi Pürstl

79/80 Hubert Neuper

80/81 Hubert Neuper

85/86 Ernst Vettori

86/87 Ernst Vettori

92/93 Andreas Goldberger

94/95 Andreas Goldberger

99/00 Andreas Widhölzl

08/09 Wolfgang Loitzl

09/10 Andreas Kofler

10/11 Thomas Morgenstern

11/12 Gregor Schlierenzauer

12/13 Gregor Schlierenzauer

13/14 Thomas Diethart

14/15 Stefan Kraft

24/25 Daniel Tschofenig

More successful than ever
With its 17th victory, Austria is now the sole number one in the all-time tour leaderboard, ahead of Finland and Germany (including the GDR, 16 victories each). Eleven podium places were also a new record.

"It's simply indescribable," Tschofenig struggled for words. Only to celebrate the greatest success of his career a little later at the big victory party.