Pius Paschke (GER) completed a hat-trick of wins at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany, this weekend. The 34-year-old started with a win in the Super Team event on Friday and then added two individual victories. His third win on home snow did not come easy, however.
Paschke came from behind after trailing Michael Hayboeck (AUT) after the first round.
Hayboeck, who had qualified in first place ahead of Paschke, managed a strong first jump (traveling 145m for a total of 149.1 points) and took an early 0.3 lead over Paschke, who scored 148.8 points.
But Paschke once again proved his top form with a strong second jump (141.6 points) to finish the competition with a combined total of 290.4 points, just 0.4 ahead of Hayboeck.
It’s all ‘clicking’ for Paschke
It’s Paschke’s fifth win of the season so far, solidifying his position as the one to beat. “It’s amazing. It was the perfect weekend”, he said with a smile.
“Three times on top, it’s unbelievable. It was a crazy weekend, the support from the home crowd was amazing. It’s great to top it off with yet another win.”
“It’s all clicking this season”, Paschke said, repeating his comments from Saturday. “What’s happening right now (this season) is madness. But it feels great. This is the result of years of work. I’ve always been a jumper who has come through consistency.”
Almost 20 years after his international debut, Paschke is now consistently world-class. “You always hope for results like these and when it finally works out, it’s a great reward for yourself and the team around you.”
“Today, I’m going to enjoy it and celebrate. You sometimes have to do that, because what’s happening at the moment is just insane”, he laughed.