'Crazy' WC win for Wellinger
January 16, 2014
Claiming 262.8 points from jumps of 127 and 128.5 meters, Wellinger also edged defending World Cup champion Gregor Schlierenzauer in Wisla, Poland. Stoch finished on 261.9 points, while Austrian Michael Hayböck earned 261.2.
Wellinger's first jump was exactly the distance needed to land him crucial bonus points, ranking him third ahead of the second jump. His second effort elevated him to the top of the pile.
"I am on cloud nine. It's difficult to put into words because it's so crazy," said the Ruhpolding-born Wellinger. "I might have to have a little celebration."
The 18-year-old had finished on the podium four times since his 2012 World Cup debut before his first win on Thursday. He had finished fourth in the Four Hills Tournament that ended on January 6.
"This is great and a very important moment for the young lad," Wellinger's coach Werner Schuster said. "He jumped very well."
Four Hills winner Thomas Diethart of Austria came fourth on Thursday, with countryman Schlierenzauer eighth.
The World Cup moves across Poland to Zakopane on Saturday and Sunday as jumpers continue their preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which begin on February 7.
ph/dr (dpa, AFP)