Klingenthal (dpa) – Daniel-André Tande flew as before. Initially, the Norwegian ski jumper made it to 130.5 meters in Klingenthal, and in the final round he then added another 141.5 meters. The fact that it wasn’t enough to win the World Cup was due to the Japanese Ryoyu Kobayashi, who was a bit stronger in the difficult sleet.
“It’s hard to explain what this result means to me, it’s a great feeling. Moments like these are the reason why I still do this sport, ”commented Tande. Even without a win, it is a more than remarkable comeback for the former ski flying world champion, who experienced a real drama in March of this year and even fought for his life. After a horror fall on the giant facility in Planica, the 27-year-old was in a coma for several days. He suffered a broken collarbone and a punctured lung, and the doctors found four cerebral haemorrhages.
But Tande recovered – and above all quickly became impatient. His trainer Alexander Stöckl told how early the plane was drawn to the hill again. This winter the upward trend is clearly visible. Placements between 20 and 30 at the start of the season and now – a good two weeks before the Four Hills Tournament – in second place on the podium. His last individual victory was in November 2019.