Hautamaki wins World Cup ski jump event

Hautamaki wins World Cup ski jump event{mosimage}KUOPIO, Finland (AP) Matti Hautamaki of Finland won his third straight World Cup ski jump competition Wednesday, while defending overall champion Janne Ahonen of Finland finished 12th, his worst showing this season.

Roar Ljokelsoy of Norway was second, keeping alive a small chance to overtake Ahonen in the final standings.

Ahonen, who won 12 of his first 14 starts, saw his lead cut to 360 points – 1,598 points to 1,238 – with four events left. Ahonen needs only 40 points from those starts to clinch the title.

Hautamaki, jumping on the hill where he grew up, won with jumps of 130.5 and 128 meters for 270.3 points. He beat Ljokelsoy, who jumped 127.5 and 126.5 meters, by 10.6 points.

Hautamaki’s second jump convinced two of the five judges to mark the full 20 points, which is very rare. The win was his 11th on the World Cup circuit.

“They were spot on, my best jumps of the season,” said Hautamaki, who finished fourth in the large hill at the worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Adam Malysz of Poland, who tied for third with Jakub Janda of the Czech Republic, had the longest jump in the first round at 131 meters.

– Associated Press