Karl Geiger chuckled with pleasure in the Russian winter idyll.
With two dream flights at 134.5 and 133 meters, the 28-year-old ski jumper from Oberstdorf set an exclamation point on Saturday and won the overall leader's yellow jersey at the start of the new season.
“That was really fun now.
Both jumps were so cool, that's mega, ”said Geiger, whose victory in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, was clear ahead of Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi (128 and 131 meters) and Norwegian Halvor Egner Granerud (133 and 125 meters).
It is a dream start for Geiger, who had won a lot in the preseason, especially at the major events.
“It burned under my nails, I wanted to get started now.
Starting with a win is incredible.
I can't get out of the grin, ”said Geiger on ARD.
He addressed a few brief words to family and friends back home: “Greetings there!
You know Bscheid! “The Allgäu is a reliable guarantor in the team of national coach Stefan Horngacher.
Last year, Markus Eisenbichler, who was sixth this time, won the first two competitions of the winter and took the overall leader's jersey.
“I am very satisfied with the competition.
Now it's time to go step by step, ”said Eisenbichler.
He and Geiger are considered good friends and move into a double room in non-Corona times.
Returnees Stephan Leyhe, who took part in a competition for the first time since March 2020, made the comeback with 14th place.
Olympic champion Andreas Wellinger meanwhile has to wait for points in the World Cup.
The 26-year-old Bavarian finished 31st (114 meters) and barely made it into the final of the 30 best jumpers.
Wellinger, who won the singles gold in Pyeongchang in 2018, has not scored any World Cup points since his cruciate ligament rupture in June 2019.
In the preseason Wellinger had only missed the second round in seven World Cups and then the qualification at the New Year's competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
But on Saturday he was satisfied with his attempt.
“It was definitely the best jump here.
I'm very happy and was able to implement what I set out to do, ”said Wellinger.
Before the competition, there was a corona case with a German supervisor.
However, this did not affect the jumpers and winner violinists because of the strict hygiene concepts.
Two jumpers not named by the World Federation FIS were also tested positive for the virus and isolated.