Germany's Freitag wins Four Hills event in Innsbruck

It was a record-setting competition in Austria, as the relatively high winds made unusually long jumps possible. In the first round of jumping, overall leader Kraft flew 137 meters, breaking the old venue record, set by Sven Hannawald in 2002, by 2.5 meters.

But that was only good enough to leave the Austrian level on 140.6 points with Freitag who jumped 133.5 meters under less favorable conditions.

In the second go-round, a number of competitors booked excellent results. Austrian Michael Hayböck promptly broke his countryman's venue record, only minutes old, with a jump of 138 meters.

Two veterans - Japan's Noriaki Kasai and Simon Ammann - turned in fine jumps and ended up sharing thrid place with 263.7 points.

Jumping second-to-last, Freitag's angle of ascent and form were perfect. The result was a jump of 132 meters that left him on 278.5 points. Kraft could only manage 128 meters on his second effort and had to settle for second on the day with 273.5 points. It was the first time a German had won in Innsbruck since Hannawald in 2002.

Kraft remains the overall leader and heavy favorite to take the Four Hills title with a points total of 835.4. His nearest competitor is Hayböck on 812.3, and Solvenia's Peter Prevc is third with 806. Freitag is fifth overall with a good chance at a top-three finish.

The fourth and final leg of tournament begins in Bischofshofen, Austria on Tuesday.