Stephan Embacher and Lisa Eder secured national titles at the Austrian Ski Jumping Championships on the Bergisel in Innsbruck this Thursday. While Eder successfully defended her title in the women’s competition, 20-year-old Embacher captured his first career national gold, while Thomas Rettenegger won the Nordic combined event.
Stephan Embacher’s Breakthrough Performance in Innsbruck
Stephan Embacher claimed his first-ever Austrian national title on Thursday, dominating the field at the Bergisel large hill. The 20-year-old Tiroler finished with a total of 283.6 points, landing jumps of 133.5 and 132.5 meters. His victory marked a significant career milestone, as it was his first medal at the national championships. Embacher, a K.S.C. athlete, is also a Superteam-Olympic champion. His success follows a strong previous winter season, where he secured sixth place in the overall World Cup and finished third at the Four Hills Tournament.
Embacher maintained a substantial lead throughout the competition, finishing 16.2 points ahead of the silver medalists. He had already established his lead in the first round and successfully defended it in the final. It is the first time for me that I was able to deliver at the Austrian Championships,
Embacher said after the event. I worked really well and made two top jumps in the competition. That is naturally cool, but for me, after the training jumps, it was unexpected.
He is coached by jumping icon Gregor Schlierenzauer.
Jan Hörl’s Record-Breaking Jump and Podium Results
While Embacher took the title, the day’s most notable distance was recorded by Jan Hörl. The Salzburg native soared to 136.5 meters in the first round, establishing a new summer record on the Bergisel matting. This performance surpassed the previous mark of 136 meters set by Polish legend Adam Malysz in 2004.
Hörl shared the silver medal with Clemens Aigner, with both athletes finishing on 267.4 points. Aigner, who had previously swept all six individual events in the summer Continental Cup, solidified his status as a key contender for the upcoming World Cup season. The competition for the podium was narrow; Raffael Zimmermann finished fourth with 266.7 points, missing a medal by only 0.7 points. Stefan Kraft placed fifth with 263.4 points, and Daniel Tschofenig followed in sixth with 262.9 points. Other K.S.C. participants included Marco Wörgötter in 14th place and Niki Humml in 16th.
Lisa Eder Defends Women’s Title
In the women’s competition, Lisa Eder successfully defended her title with a consistent performance. She finished 24.4 points ahead of runner-up Hannah Wiegele, who jumped 119 meters in both attempts, while Julia Mühlbacher took the bronze with 223.9 points.
Despite the win, Eder expressed a critical view of her technical execution. With the jumps, I am not quite happy yet, actually it was not my day,
she noted. Nevertheless, I can naturally be satisfied with another national championship title in the bag.
Eder had briefly retired following the previous season before deciding to return to the sport this summer. Her partner, Manuel Fettner, has been integrated into her coaching team. Eder is now looking ahead to the first Four Hills Tournament for women, which will be held on the same hills as the men’s event, including the Bergisel.
Thomas Rettenegger’s Victory in Nordic Combined
Athletes now look toward the next stage of the domestic season, with another national championship scheduled for October 17 on the normal hill in Stams.