Domen Prevc after winning the Four Hills Tournament: the eagle is heavy, the road to it even more

With his overall victory on the New Year’s Four Hills Tournament, Domen Prevc became the third Slovenian to lift the Golden Eagle. After Primož Peterka and his brother Peter Prevc, the 26-year-old ski jumper confirmed his place among the very top of world ski jumping. There will be little time for celebrations, though. Already this weekend he faces the next competition in Zakopane.

Domen Prevc after winning the Four Hills Tournament: the eagle is heavy, the road to it even more

“The eagle is heavy, but the road to it is even heavier,” Prevc said as he received the prestigious trophy. As a child, he imagined the cup would be heavier, yet its message matters more. “It’s twelve days of constant pressure, competitions follow one another, there’s no time to rest. If you succeed, you know you worked the right way and stayed persistent,” he explained.

Despite already holding a world record from Planica and a world championship title, he places the Four Hills Tournament at the very top of his achievements. “This is the biggest thing I’ve done. Bigger than the title, bigger than the record. You don’t win the tournament by chance. You have to be good in all conditions, on all hills, no matter how well they suit you.”

He will mark the triumph in his own way, quietly. “I’m not a person for big parties. I prefer being somewhere calm, with good company or good food. That’s when I enjoy it most,” he said. After returning home, there will be only a brief stop, just enough time to wash his equipment, before heading to Poland for the next weekend.

The rest of the season still brings a trip to Japan and the World Championships in Oberstdorf. “Now things will be easier, since I’m carrying a good boost. The season is still long, but at least now I can breathe a little,” he said.

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