Norway Snatches Final Victory of the Season with Lindvik's Win in Planica
Marius Lindvik soars to victory as ski jumping legends bow out
In the very last competition of the season, Norway celebrated one last triumph: Marius Lindvik claimed victory in the ski flying event in Planica, finishing 5.6 points ahead of season dominator Domen Prevc and 18.2 points clear of his compatriot Johann André Forfang.
And the Austrians? Daniel Tschofenig narrowly missed the podium in fourth place, just 2.9 points shy, while Stefan Kraft came in sixth. Manuel Fettner, finishing ninth—just ahead of Jonas Schuster—brought his career to a close. Stephan Embacher, meanwhile, had no chance in the battle for the small crystal globe.
Embacher Misses Out on Crystal Globe
The Tyrolean was forced to wait under highly changeable wind conditions in the first round, ultimately taking off with too little momentum for the conditions at the time, landing at just 202.5 meters. With that, the small crystal globe in the ski flying World Cup—his duel with Prevc—was decisively out of reach. "We're an outdoor sport; I've already let out my frustration," Embacher said. "I could have ended the season with yesterday's result—that would have suited me better." The day before, he had been part of the winning Austrian team.
Manuel Fettner, meanwhile, took his final flights in competition. In the first round, his girlfriend—Lisa Eder—waved him off from the coach's tower, later presenting him with a special pair of farewell skis in the outrun. The 2022 team Olympic champion, who also won normal hill silver in Beijing, leaves the sport with five World Championship medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze) from Nordic and ski flying championships.
Stoch Also Calls It a Career
Fettner, who made his World Cup debut on January 4, 2001, reflected: "Thank God, I've come through my career more or less injury-free. I've had so many incredible moments, and I'm leaving satisfied."
Alongside Fettner, one of the greatest ski jumpers of all time also retired: Kamil Stoch, a three-time Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and 39-time World Cup winner. The 38-year-old Pole claimed the overall World Cup title twice.
In other news, after nearly seven years as head coach of the German team, Tyrolean Stefan Horngacher has stepped down.
