Ski Jumping news - Ryoyu Kobayashi creates history with Four Hills grand slam
Updated 06/01/2019 at 18:09 GMT
Ryoyu Kobayashi created history on Sunday as he completed the Four Hills grand slam with victory at Bischofshofen, just the third man in ski jumping history to do so.
Kobayashi came into the event having triumphed at Oberstdorf, Garmisch- Partenkirchen and Innsbruck and in each event he had comfortably looked like the best jumper in the group.
Unsurprisingly this led to talk that he could complete the slam, but he found himself fourth as Markus Eisenbichler led the way after the opening jump.
In the second jumps Stephan Leyhe rose up from 11th to set the early pace before Kobayashi made his jump.
The Japanese showed no nerves whatsoever as he produced a stunning jump to roar into the lead.
There were just three jumpers left and although Stefan Kraft pushed him very close there was joy for Kobayashi when the Austrian was marked short and then Dawid Kubacki's jump did not count.
Eisenbichler couldn't match Kobayashi and that gave victory to the 22-year-old.
In completing the Four Hills grand slam, Kobayashi joins the legendary Kamil Stoch, who did it last year, and Sven Hannawald who did it in 2002.
It caps off a perfect season for Kobayashi so far as he comfortably sits atop of the World Cup standings.
The next challenge for the rising star will be the World Championships in Tyrol which begin on February 19.
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