Despite having unfavourable wind conditions the 24-year-old Norwegian, who has individual and team gold from the 2019 and 2021 World Championships and a silver from the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, finished just off the podium in the provisional competition round (PCR) before this weekend’s individual Gundersen and team sprint events.

The PCR involved 49 athletes from 10 nations in two training jumps and a scoring effort for the individual Gundersen, scheduled to take place on Sunday (February 27) on the HS130 large hill.

Riiber, who sits second in this season’s overall World Cup standings, cleared 113 metres to finish fourth with 114.3 points.

Austria’s Franz-Josef Rehrl was winner on the day with a jump of 131.5m earning 122.4 points, from Estonia’s Kristjan Ilves, who scored 121.9 after a jump of 121.5m, and Norway’s Espen Bjoernstad, who received 120.7 points after his 128m effort.

Riiber’s team mate Jørgen Graabak, who took Beijing 2022 gold in the individual large hill and silver in the normal hill, was well down in 29^th place with 83.4 points from a 102.0m jump.

Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger, winner of the normal hill gold at Beijing 2022, was 18^th with 96.4 points following a jump of 111.0m.