Awesome Austrian Lisa Eder claims first-ever World Cup win

Three-time World junior champion Lisa Eder (AUT) finally secured the first World Cup victory of her career in impressive style after holding off a strong second round charge from Crystal Globe leader Nika Prevc (SLO) at the concluding event in Zao (JPN).

Eder, who has placed second five times this season, held a lead of 3.4 points from Prevc following the opening round and that lead proved to be crucial.

In the closing stages double World champion Prevc landed the only jump to pass 100m, measured at 101m, putting pressure on her Austrian rival, but Eder was exceptional.

She expertly handed the situation with a jump of 98m enough to secure the overall points total (227.9 pts) required for victory, with Prevc (226.5) second and Canada’s Abigail Strate (222.3) completing the top-three.

“There are so many people I would like to thank, my family, coaches and the whole team,” said an emotional Eder after victory was confirmed.

“My training jump yesterday was not good and then every jump became better, but I still don’t know how it (the win) happened!”

Eder becomes on the fifth ski jumper to top a World Cup or Two Nights Tour podium during the 2025/26 campaign, following Prevc and Nozomi Maruyama (JPN) and Anna Odine Stroem (NOR).

Maruyama, who delighted home fans by winning the first Zao World Cup on Tuesday, placed a surprise eighth in the second contest, a result which has allowed Prevc to extend her lead in the overall World Cup standings to a near unassailable 358 points.

The field do not have to wait long for another elite contest and will reconvene at the 1972 Olympic Winter Games host city, Sapporo, for the start of the next World Cup event on Friday.

The Japanese venue will host two individual World Cup competitions between 23-25 January, with the first qualification round taking place on Friday, before the main events across the weekend.