Innsbruck jumping: Bystoel edges Janda in Four Hills event No. 3

Innsbruck jumping: Bystoel edges Janda in Four Hills event No. 3{mosimage}INNSBRUCK, Austria – Norway’s Lars Bystoel won the third event of the Four Hills ski jumping tour on the Berg Isel ski jump Wednesday.

Bystoel was only 42nd in qualifying. Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic finished second, followed by another Norwegian, Bjoern Einar Romoeren, in third.

Bystoel – who recorded two podium finishes in Lillehammer, Norway, earlier this season – celebrated his first career World Cup victory with jumps of 127 and 129.5 meters, which gave him 264.7 points. Janda was 1.5 points behind, while Romoeren had 258.1 points.

”I am so happy. I have been working hard for this victory, but today all the work paid off,” Bystoel said.

Despite his win in Innsbruck, the Norwegian is not a serious challenger to new overall leader Janda.

Although the Czech lost his first-jump duel with Janne Ahonen, he overtook the Finn with a 133-meter second leap.

Janda came back from 13th after the first leg to reach the podium and is now top in the overall standings with 790.5 points.

Ahead of the last tour event on Friday, Janda leads Ahonen by two points overall. Third-placed Roar Ljoekelsoey of Norway has 775.1 points.

Janda also extended his lead in the World Cup. After 10 of 23 events, the Czech has 792 points, followed by Ahonen (655) and Swiss Andreas Kuettel, 527.

Germany’s Martin Schmitt withdrew from the Four Hills tour’s final event in Bischofshofen. The four-time world champion, who is off form and failed to qualify for the main events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Innsbruck, has returned home.

– The Associated Press

Four Hills Tour ski jumping results, Innsbruck
Results Wednesday from the third leg of the ski jumping Four Hills Tour on the Berg Isel ski jump (distances in parentheses):
1. Lars Bystoel, Norway, 264.7 points (127-129.5 meters).
2. Jakub Janda, Czech Republic, 263.2 (123.5-133).
3. Bjoern Einar Romoeren, Norway, 258-1 (126-128.5).
4. Thomas Morgenstern, Austria, 257.6 (130-124.5)
5. Roar Ljoekelsoey, Norway, 256.9 (128-125).
6. Janne Ahonen, Finland, 255.4 (124-129).
7. Andreas Kuettel, Switzerland, 255.2 (127.5-124).
8. Takanobu Okabe, Japan, 253.8 (123.5-130).
9. Noriaki Kasai, Japan, 251.7 (128-123.5).
10. Rok Benkovic, Slovenia, 251.4 (126-124.5).

Four Hills Tour standings
After three of four events
1. Jakub Janda, Czech Republic, 790.5 points.
2. Janne Ahonen, Finland, 788.5.
3. Roar Ljoekelsoey, Norway, 775.1.
4. Matti Hautamaki, Finland, 765.4.

Overall World Cup standings
After 10 of 23 events
1. Jakub Janda, Czech Republic, 792 points.
2. Janne Ahonen, Finland, 655.
3. Andreas Kuettel, Switzerland, 527.
4. Michael Uhrmann, Germany, 439.
5. Lars Bystoel, Norway, 353.
6. Roar Ljoekelsoey, Norway, 350.
7. Andreas Widhoelzl, Austria, 316.
8. Thomas Morgenstern, Austria, 284.
9. Adam Malysz, Poland, 270.
10. Andreas Kofler, Austria, 247.