Overview
- Prevc has dominated the World Cup run-in, winning five of the past six events and leading the overall standings.
- Ryoyu Kobayashi arrives as the primary challenger after winning the Engelberg rehearsal and as a three-time Four Hills champion.
- Germany’s Philipp Raimund has emerged as a consistent outsider, sitting fourth overall after a string of podiums and top‑ten finishes.
- Felix Hoffmann is in career-best shape with second and third in Engelberg, prompting hopes voiced publicly by Sven Hannawald for a German breakthrough.
- Austria lacks last season’s dominance, yet Stefan Kraft, Jan Hörl and defending Tournee winner Daniel Tschofenig remain credible threats as the series moves from Oberstdorf to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Innsbruck and Bischofshofen through 6 January.