Domen Prevc continues Slovenia's successful ski jumping series – he won an individual silver medal at the Nordic Junior World Ski Championships. He will have the opportunity to win another medal at the upcoming two team events as Slovenia is considered among the top favorites. Foto: EPA
Domen Prevc continues Slovenia's successful ski jumping series – he won an individual silver medal at the Nordic Junior World Ski Championships. He will have the opportunity to win another medal at the upcoming two team events as Slovenia is considered among the top favorites. Foto: EPA

The 2016 junior world championships are being held at the Rašnov modern nordic centre in the heart of the Carpathian mountains in Romania. The barely 16-year-old Domen Prevc confirmed his top position in the Slovenian team and won 2nd place in the individual ski jumping competition. Winning the silver he equaled the achievement of his older brother, Peter Prevc, who also became junior world vice-champion in 2010 in Hinterzarten. Peter Prevc was then beaten by Austrian jumper Michael Hayböck.

The winning three a class of their own
The gold went to Germany's David Siegel, while the bronze went to Ryoyu Kobayashi from Japan. The winning three showed that they are a class of their own after the first series of jumps already. There was a difference of only half a point between them. Domen Prevc and Kobayashi were in joint lead after the first series. In the final Siegel jumped even farther.

The German jumped 95,0 and 96,5 meters. The Slovenian jumped 95,0 and 95,5, while the Japanese jumped 96,5 in 94,0. In points Siegel won with an advantage of 4 points, while Domen Prevc beat Kobayashi by only two tenths of a point.

Best among the other Slovenians was Bor Pavlovčič who finished in 10th place. Anže Lanišek was 16th while Tilen Bartol placed 27th.

Two gold, seven silver and two bronze medals
Domen Prevc has now won Slovenia's eleventh individual medal at the junior world championships. The annual Nordic Junior World Ski Championships have been held every year since 1979. The first Slovenian medal, a silver, was won in Trondheim in 1984 by Janez Štirn. He was followed by more vice-champions: Primož Peterka (1996), Rok Benkovič (2003), Jurij Tepeš (2006), Peter Prevc (2010), Jaka Hvala (2012) and today's Domen Prevc.

Gold medals and junior world champion titles were won by Nejc Dežman in 2012 in Erzurum and Jaka Hvala a year later in Liberec. In addition to the two gold medals Slovenia has also won two bronze medals: Damjan Fras in 1991 and Jurij Tepeš in 2005.

Ema Klinec sixth, Nika Križnar seventh
In the women's competition Ema Klinec (85,5 m/80,5 m) won sixth place while Nika Križnar (83,0 m/83,5 m) won seventh place. The winner was Austria's Chiara Holzl (90,5 m/88,5 m) ahead of Germany's Katharina Althaus and Russia's Sofija Tihonova.

There have been changes to the schedule and the mixed team event is to take place on Wednesday, while the junior men's team event is scheduled for Saturday.

To. G.; translated by K. J.