Kobayashi warms up for Four Hills defence with Klingenthal win
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Paris (AFP) –
Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi warmed up for the defence of his Four Hills ski jumping title with victory and the World Cup lead at Klingenthal on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Japanese, who last season became just the third man to complete a Four Hills clean-sweep, saw off Austria's Stefan Kraft and Marius Lindvik of Norway on the German hill.
"I was able to make two very good jumps and of course I'm very happy about the win today. But I don't think about the result at all, I just focus on showing good jumps," said Kobayashi, the only Japanese winner of the Four Hills.
"Of course, I would love to win the Four Hills tournament again this year, but as I said, I only focus on my jumps, not on results."
Kobayashi now leads the overall World Cup standings with 290 points ahead of Kraft on 276.
Norway's Daniel Andre Tande, 18th on Sunday, is now third in the overall rankings with 273 points.
For Kobayashi, it was his 14th World Cup win -- the other 13 all came last winter.
The World Cup continues next weekend in Engelberg in Switzerland before the Four Hills starts with qualification in Oberstdorf on December 28.
© 2019 AFP