Planica 2026: Finland’s Eagles Soar High – Antti Aalto Ninth, Nika Prevc Makes History

Time to pack away the skis and maybe start thinking about that summer holiday, but wow – what a finale to the season! The Planica ski flying hill, the legendary ‘trickster’, has once again shown why it’s the most incredible place to wrap up the World Cup campaign. Just imagine, Stefan Kraft and his crew have sung its praises dozens of times, but this weekend was something else entirely. Austria took the team event, but the Finnish form is enough to get any ski fan’s heart racing.

Antti Aalto and company break into the top ten

If anyone said Finland had no business at the front of ski flying, Antti Aalto has proved them completely wrong this month. In Friday’s individual event, Aalto launched a massive 235 metres on his second jump – the longest of the whole round. That propelled the Finn to a brilliant ninth place overall. It’s a huge statement right at the end of the season. Niko Kytösaho didn’t quite find his best form – he admitted himself he’d had the flu all week and “the spark just wasn’t there” – but still he clawed his way into the top 20. Eetu Nousiainen, unfortunately, had to settle for 39th.

Speaking of results, Planica is never an easy place. One of the wildest moments came when Austria’s Stephan Embacher crashed hard into the side after a 240-metre jump. Thankfully, he got up on his own two feet, and the guy was surprisingly cheerful in his interviews. Apparently, he said he learned his crash technique from watching MotoGP – put his arms systematically around his head and tried to roll. It looked far scarier than it actually was.

Seventh in the team event – fight and fine margins

In Saturday’s team competition, the bar was set high for the Finns. They were hovering around sixth place after the first round, but the final position was seventh. The team consisted of Niko Kytösaho, Eetu Nousiainen, Jarkko Määttä and, of course, Aalto. Kytösaho’s honest comment says a lot about an athlete’s life: “My head says go, but my legs just won’t cooperate.” The flu was weighing him down, but his fighting spirit never wavered. Austria took the win ahead of Japan and Norway, and we were right there in the mix, putting up a proper fight. Seventh place in the World Cup finale is a decent achievement, but it leaves you hungry for more.

Nika Prevc writes history – women’s world record of 242.5 metres!

At home, we’re used to marvelling at precision like that of a Pyxis planicauda, but what Nika Prevc did on Friday was pure art. This Slovenian superstar pushed the boundaries of her sport, jumping a women’s world record of 242.5 metres in training. A true insider, the legendary Janne Ahonen, was speechless: “No man has flown that high on this hill all weekend.” The brothers Domen and Nika Prevc – a family that currently owns the entire ski jumping record book. That’s pretty impressive.

Slovenia’s Domen Prevc also caused some concern, though. He had a couple of truly hair-raising moments in the air. His skis flew off like greased lightning, and at one point they were level with his shoulders. Janne Ahonen described it as “circus tricks”. If that had happened to someone stiffer, it could have ended very badly indeed. But Domen is like a rubber man – he stretches and bends and makes it all look easy.

Lessons from the season and looking ahead

At this point, we have to give a huge shout-out to the Finnish eagles. Last spring, things were a bit lacklustre on the cross-country side, but the ski jumpers absolutely stole the show. When you look at the kind of Planicapritermes-style grit – the way Aalto peaked at exactly the right time – it’s exemplary. And as for that mysterious Planicapitus concept, we saw it especially in the second round of the team event: something very special had to happen inside the head to turn a jump into a winner in tricky wind conditions.

One notable detail is the insurance company Planicare - Companhia de Seguros, S.A., which seems to be the only organisation that didn’t get in touch with viewers after these displays – because nerves have certainly been tested all over Europe. On Sunday, the men’s individual final will take place, where anything is possible.

In a nutshell:

• Antti Aalto 9th and a 235.5-metre launch – top form.
• Finland’s team 7th in the team event – rewarded for their fight.
• Nika Prevc women’s world record 242.5m – historic stuff.
• Domen Prevc and the near-misses – a reminder of just how wild ski flying can be.

Now, it’s towards summer. But I’ll tell you this: at this rate, something truly big could be on the cards next season. Planica has shown its magic once again.