Prevc and Kobayashi expected to duel for Four Hills glory

Slovenia's Domen Prevc appears to be the man to beat in the 74th edition of ski jumping's Four Hills Tour which starts on Sunday with qualifying for the first stage.

Prevc arrives at the prestigious event in Germany with five victories and a runner-up finish from the last six World Cup events.

His main rival is expected to be Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi, who ended Prevc's winning run on Sunday in Engelberg, Switzerland.

Kobayashi has done it before, Prevc hasn't

Twice world champion Prevc is yet to make the top three in the overall Four Hill rankings and has also never won a stage of it.

Kobayashi meanwhile has three Four Hills titles from 2019, 2022 and 2024. He would go joint-second all time with German Jens Weissflog with a fourth success, one behind Finland's Janne Ahonen who has a leading five titles.

Kobayashi is one of only three jumpers to achieve a grand slam of victories at all four stops of one tour, in 2018-19.

Kobayashi said in Engelberg has was "getting nervous" with the Four Hills approaching while Prevc was not too fussed that his winning run ended in the final event before the tour.

"I am mostly satisfied with myself that I managed to stay calm despite all the waiting," Prevc said after a wind-marred competition. "Overall, it was a nice weekend for me."

The two will go head to head again at the Four Hills with its competitions in Oberstdorf on Monday, the second German stop in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on New Year's Day and the Austrian events in Innsbruck on January 4 and Bischofshofen on January 6.

Contenders also include Prevc's Slovenian team-mate Anze Lanisek, who has two season victories and was third overall in 2023.

Austria looking for form

Austria have a record 17 Four Hills titles and swept last year's overall podium from Daniel Tschofenig, Jan Hörl and Stefan Kraft.

Tschofenig and Kraft have one season victory each but the Austrians have only one podium from the last seven World Cup competitions, and Tschofenig even failed to qualify for the second round on Sunday.

"This is not what we expected and hoped for before the tour," Austrian coach Andreas Widhölzl was quoted as saying by the Austrian Press Agency.

But former German jumper Markus Eisenbichler believes that the experienced Kraft could turn around his fortunes because "he has a jump that always works. Whether it is windy or not. he doesn't care."

Germany's long drought

The other hosts Germany have not won the Four Hills since Sven Hannawald's triumph in 2002 with the first grand slam.

But they are cautiously optimistic because Philipp Raimund has three podiums and two fourth-place finishes from the last six events, and Felix Hoffmann three podiums as well.

"He has the potential to win a competition. And someone who has the potential to win a competition can also win the tour. he is among the contenders," former German jumper Martin Schmitt said of Hoffmann.