Schlierenzauer chases more records as Olympic season
begins
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Two-time individual World Cup overall champion Gregor
Schlierenzauer (AUT) can become the fourth man to
win three or more season-long titles by triumphing
again in 2013/14. He previously won in 2008/09 and
2012/13.
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The others to have won three or more overall World
Cup titles are Matti Nyka"nen (FIN, four times
– 1982/83, 1984/85, 1985/86 and 1987/88), Adam Malysz
(POL, four times – 2000/01, 2001/02, 2002/03 and
2006/07) and Andreas Goldberger (AUT, three times
– 1992/93, 1994/95 and 1995/96).
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If Schlierenzauer defends his title from 2012/13,
he will become the eighth man to win back-to-back
World Cup titles and the first since Janne Ahonen
(FIN) in 2004-05.
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Schlierenzauer has finished in the top three of
the individual World Cup overall standings in five
different seasons. By doing so again this season,
he would join Ahonen (8) and Andreas Felder (AUT,
6) as the only men with six or more top-three finishes
in the World Cup standings.
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Schlierenzauer already holds the all-time record
with 50 individual World Cup victories, all of which
have come in the last seven seasons. Thomas Morgenstern
(AUT) has the next most individual World Cup victories
during that span with 20.
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Schlierenzauer enters the season with 81 career
individual World Cup podiums, 27 behind the leader
Ahonen (108) and eleven behind second-placed Malysz
(92). Schlierenzauer has had nine or more podiums
in five out of the last six seasons, so if he stays
healthy this season he seems destined to catch the
retired Polish legend this season for second place
on the all-time list.
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In individual and team World Cup events combined,
Schlierenzauer (105) is behind only Ahonen (128),
who is returning from retirement for a second time
this season, in total podiums. The 23-podium gap
between the two is exactly the same number as Schlierenzauer's
most prolific podium season in individual and team
World Cup events combined – 23 in 2008/09.
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Schlierenzauer, Nyka"nen and Martin Schmitt
(GER) are the only men to have won 10 or more individual
World Cup events in two different seasons. Schlierenzauer
can be the first to do it three times by repeating
his 10 victories from a year ago. Schmitt is still
active and could theoretically achieve this feat
too, but he has not won a single individual World
Cup event since 2002.
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Schlierenzauer is bidding to become the first man
to record 15 individual World Cup podiums in three
different seasons. Morgenstern, Schmitt, Ahonen
and Simon Ammann (SUI) could also achieve this feat
this season, but Schlierenzauer seems the most likely
to do it.
Morgenstern climbing up career World Cup lists
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While overshadowed by his countrymen Schlierenzauer
in recent years, Thomas Morgenstern is also climbing
up several historic World Cup record lists.
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Like Schlierenzauer, Morgenstern is aiming to become
the fourth man to win three or more individual World
Cup overall titles in 2013/14. Morgenstern won the
title in 2007/08 and 2010/11.
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Morgenstern is eighth on the career list with 22
individual World Cup victories, three behind Felder
(25) and six behind Schmitt (28). However, 17 of
his 22 wins have come in his two title-winning seasons.
He has only won multiple individual World Cup events
in one other season (2009-10 – 2).
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Morgenstern currently sits in sixth place with 72
career individual World Cup podiums, just one behind
Jens Wei?flog (GDR/GER) and four behind Nyka"nen.
Given that Morgenstern has surpassed four podiums
in seven of the last nine seasons, he seems a good
chance to overtake both Wei?flog and Nyka"nen
this season and move into fourth place on the all-time
World Cup podium list behind Ahonen, Malysz and
Schlierenzauer.
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Benefitting from an era of Austrian dominance and
the holding of more team events in recent years,
Morgenstern is the most successful team ski jumper
in World Cup history. His 16 World Cup team victories
and 30 World Cup team podiums are both more than
any other man.
World Cup swansong for Simon Ammann?
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Four-time Olympic champion and Swiss legend Simon
Ammann could be entering his final season on the
World Cup tour as he builds towards the defence
of his Olympic normal and large hill titles in Sochi.
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Ammann's 20 career individual World Cup victories
are ninth on the all-time list, two behind eighth-placed
Morgenstern.
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Ammann is seventh on the all-time list with 68 individual
World Cup podiums. Morgenstern is again just above
him on this list with 72.
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However, Ammann has not won on the World Cup circuit
for more than two years, since his last victory
on the large hill in Lahti, Finland, in March 2011.
He recorded only two World Cup podiums last season.
Has Austria's team dominance come to an end?
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Austria's eight-year reign over the Nations Cup
came to an end last season, as Norway won the season-long
team title.
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Austria didn't win any of the six World Cup team
events last season, their longest stretch without
a team victory since a 10-event run from 1997 to
2001.
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In the history of World Cup team events, Austria
leads all nations with 55 podiums. Finland and Norway
enter this season tied for second with 37 World
Cup team podiums each. On recent form, Norway appears
likely to overtake Finland and be alone in second
place by the end of this season.
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Last season was a breakthrough year for Slovenia,
who recorded three World Cup team victories. With
four all-time World Cup team victories, Slovenia
is now tied with Japan for fifth place behind Austria
(25), Finland (15), Norway (12) and Germany (6).
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Given that Japan's last World Cup team victory came
in 2001, and all of Slovenia's have come since February
2012, the Slovenes appear poised to overtake Japan
this season and even challenge Germany for fourth
place.