Prevc's Comeback After Day 1 Disqualification
Nika Prevc turned a humiliating Saturday into a dominant Sunday at the HS109 in Hinterzarten, Germany. The Slovenian was disqualified from the opening Intercontinental Cup event after her suit failed to meet FIS breathability standards — a point of tightened enforcement as the new season approaches. Twenty-four hours later, she left no room for doubt.
Prevc opened her second attempt with a jump of 104.5 metres, then sealed victory with 109 metres in the final round, finishing comfortably ahead of Germany's Agnes Reisch (99.5 m / 105.5 m) and China's Liangyao Wang (103 m / 102.5 m). The margin underscored how dominant Prevc can be when her equipment clears inspection.
Reisch had made the most of Prevc's absence on Saturday, claiming the first ICC competition with jumps of 106.5 m and 106 m. Wang took second on Day 1 ahead of compatriot Ping Zeng. The back-to-back podium for the Chinese pair signals growing depth in women's ski jumping from China heading into the new season. France's Capucine Mesnil and Marie Thomas-Couturaud both scored points in Sunday's competition, adding to a positive start for the French women's programme.
Aigner Extends Continental Cup Stranglehold
On the men's side, Austrian jumper Clemens Aigner has made the summer Continental Cup his personal property. His Sunday victory in Hinterzarten — 107.5 m followed by 109.5 m — was his fourth consecutive win on the circuit, stretching an unbroken run that began at the season's first event earlier this month. Aigner also won Saturday's Continental Cup edition at the same venue, making it a perfect Hinterzarten weekend.
Fellow Austrian Raffael Zimmermann claimed second (104 m / 104 m), with Germany's Ben Bayer rounding out the podium in third (105 m / 102 m). France's Ari Repellin finished inside the top 20 on Sunday — an encouraging step for a team building experience at this level. Repellin had also posted a result in the top 25 on Saturday.
The Continental Cup is typically contested by athletes on the cusp of World Cup selection, as well as established jumpers using the summer circuit to test equipment setups and maintain competition sharpness ahead of the winter programme.
Ski JumpingRaimund edges Wellinger for German title, Reisch wins women's crownFIS Cup and the Road to the World Cup
Hinterzarten hosted all three developmental formats simultaneously over the weekend. The FIS Cup — the entry-level series — was won on Saturday by Austria's Jakob Steinberger by a clear margin. Repellin and Anoki Pouradier both advanced to the FIS Cup final round, giving France further reason for optimism across all tiers of the competition.
The triple-format weekend in Hinterzarten serves as one of the last significant competitive opportunities before the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup season opens in late autumn. Athletes use these events to lock in equipment specifications, accumulate ranking points, and demonstrate form to national team selectors.
For Prevc, the weekend ends on a high note after Friday's disqualification setback. She remains among the pre-season favourites for the women's individual World Cup title. For Aigner, the question heading into winter is whether four straight Continental Cup wins can translate into a first World Cup podium.
