Halvor Egner Granerud crowned Four Hills champion ahead of Dawid Kubacki after Bischofshofen win

Halvor Egner Granerud was crowned 2022/23 Four Hills champion after capping off a brilliant tournament with victory at Bischofshofen.

Granerud topped the leaderboard in the final event of the competition with a score of 313.4 points.

Anze Lanisek took second place on 305.5 points ahead of Dawid Kubacki on 303.7 points.

They had been the standout performers over this season’s Four Hills but it was Granerud who stood above the rest.

He is the first Norwegian Four Hills winner since Anders Jacobsen in 2006/07 and finished 33 points clear of Kubacki in the overall standings, with Lanisek taking third place.

“It’s so amazing. To be able to experience this in sport, in your career, is amazing,” Granerud told Eurosport.

“The Four Hills is special and will forever be special. The emotions get so much bigger…you really feel the pressure in Four Hills, it’s so immense. To be able to repeatedly perform jumps at the level I have done, I am so proud of myself.

“I am really happy.”

Granerud won three of the four events, only missing out on a Grand Slam after finishing second to Kubacki in Innsbruck.

He soared above Lanisek with the final jump of the competition in Bischofshofen to secure top spot, roaring with delight after landing and then sliding down the slope in celebration.

Lanisek and Kubacki both offered their congratulations to the new champion after he was embraced by his Norwegian team-mates.

Granerud headed into the final day of the Four Hills tournament knowing that victory was in his grasp.

In the first round it was Lanisek who moved top of the leaderboard with a jump of 140.5m. Kubacki couldn’t match that as he slotted into second.

Granerud also didn’t have the same distance as Lanisek, but scored more points to lead the way heading into the final round.

There was no mistake at the finish as Granerud nailed the longest jump of the day at 143.5m to clinch the overall win.

Shiffrin’s recent excellent form has propelled her to within touching distance of the all-time record for World Cups wins by a woman.

Shiffrin is now on 81, one behind her compatriot Lindsey Vonn. Sweden’s legendary skier Ingemar Stenmark leads the way for all skiers with 86 wins.

Shiffrin and the rest of the tour will now turn their attention to the weekend’s racing in Kranjska Gora where two giant slalom races will take place, giving Shiffrin another chance to equal, and then break the record.

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