Sat, Jan 03, 2004 - Page 18 News List

Pettersen leaps to second victory

AP , GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY

Norway's Sigurd Pettersen celebrates after winning the 2nd competition of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament in Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Thursday.

PHOTO: AP

Norway's Sigurd Pettersen captured the second stop of the ski jumping Four Hills tournament on Thursday, adding to his win in the opener.

The 23-year-old leaped a day's best of 123m on his first jump, then followed with 120.5 for a total score of 253.8 points at the most prestigious tournament in the sport.

Pettersen edged out Austria's Martin Hoellwarth, who had 253.1, on a cold windless day and retained his huge lead overall in the tournament after a runaway win at Oberstdorf.

"I'm unbelievably happy -- it could stay like this. I never expected this before the tournament," Pettersen said.

Germany's Georg Spaeth was third in 248.7, with Finland's Janne Ahonen fourth at 248.5.

Pettersen's clean style and distance on his jumps again left no doubt as to the winner in front of 35,000 spectators.

"He's jumping in a different league these days," said German jumper Michael Uhrmann.

Pettersen has 549.0 points from the two Four Hills events, followed by Hoellwarth with 522.2.

The Norwegian also captured his third World Cup event of the season and fifth of his career while soaring to the top of the overall standings. He has 406 points after seven events, followed by Ahonen at 338 and countryman Roar Ljoekelsoey at 335.

Many of the favorites heading into the start of the Four Hills again finished far down the standings.

Germany's Sven Hannewald was ninth, Poland's Adam Malyz 19th and four-time world champion Martin Schmitt of Germany just 22nd.

Schmitt criticized the facility at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, saying the slope hadn't been modernized like the rest of the Four Hills stops.

"At the bottom of the jumps, it can be really dangerous," Schmitt said.

The organizers said they plan to upgrade the Garmisch-Partenkirchen slope within three years into a modern sports and tourist facility for around 4 million euros (US$5 million).

The final two stops on the Four Hills are in Austria at Innsbruck tomorrow and at Bischofshofen on Tuesday.

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