Planica 2026: Finnish eagles soar high – Antti Aalto ninth, Nika Prevc makes history
Time to pack away the skis and get ready for summer break, but oh boy, what a way to end the season! Planica's legendary "trickster" hill has once again shown why it's the most epic place to wrap up the World Cup calendar. Just imagine – Stefan Kraft and crew have sung its praises dozens of times, but this weekend was something else entirely. Austria took out the team event, but the Finnish crew's form is enough to get any ski fan's heart racing.
Antti Aalto and teammates crack the top ten
If anyone said Finland had no business at the top of ski flying, Antti Aalto has proved them dead wrong this month. In Friday's individual event, Aalto unleashed a 235-metre jump on his second round – the second longest of the whole round. That propelled the Finn to an outstanding ninth place overall. A massive statement to end the season. Niko Kytösaho wasn't quite at his best – he admitted he'd been battling the flu all week and "the spark just wasn't there" – but he still scrapped his way into the top 20. Eetu Nousiainen, meanwhile, finished a frustrating 39th.
Speaking of results, Planica is never easy. One of the wildest moments came when Austria's Stephan Embacher slid hard into the side after a 240-metre jump. Thankfully, he got up on his own, and the guy was surprisingly chirpy in interviews. Apparently, he said he learned his crash technique from watching MotoGP – hands wrapped around his head and tried to roll. It looked way more terrifying than it actually was.
Seventh in the team event – fight and fire
In Saturday's team event, the Finns set the bar high. They were sniffing around sixth place after the first round, but eventually finished seventh. The team featured 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 taking its toll, but the fighting spirit never wavered. Austria took the win ahead of Japan and Norway, and we were right in the mix putting up a solid result. Seventh place in the World Cup finale is a decent effort, but it leaves you hungry for more.
Nika Prevc writes history – women's world record 242.5 metres!
Home audiences are used to marvelling at the precision of a Pyxis planicauda, but what Nika Prevc did on Friday was pure art. The Slovenian superstar pushed the limits of her sport, soaring 242.5 metres in training to set a new women's world record. Legendary Janne Ahonen, an insider's insider, was speechless: "No man has flown that high on this hill all weekend." The Prevc brothers Domen and Nika – a family that currently owns the entire ski jumping world record book. That's pretty damn impressive.
Slovenia's Domen Prevc also caused some concern, though. He had a couple of seriously hairy moments in the air. His skis flew off like greased lightning, and at one point they were up around shoulder height. Janne Ahonen described it as straight-up "circus tricks". If that had happened to someone stiffer, it could have ended really badly. But Domen is like a rubber man – he bends and twists and makes it look easy.
Lessons from the season and what's next
Right about now, we've got to give a massive shout-out to the Finnish eagles. Last spring was a bit grim on the cross-country side, but the ski jumpers absolutely stole the show. Looking at the Planicapritermes-style grit that Aalto showed to peak right on time – that's exemplary. And as for that mysterious Planicapitus concept, we saw it especially in the second round of the team event – something pretty special had to happen inside the head to turn a jump into a winner in tricky winds.
One noteworthy detail: the insurance company Planicare - Companhia de Seguros, S.A. seems to be the only outfit that didn't get in touch with viewers after these displays – because nerves must have been tested all across Europe. Sunday's men's individual final is still to come, and anything is possible.
In a nutshell:
- Antti Aalto 9th and a 235.5-metre blast – flying high.
- Finland's team 7th in the team event – rewarded for the fight.
- Nika Prevc women's WR 242.5m – making history.
- Domen Prevc and the close calls – a reminder of just how gnarly ski flying can be.
Now, it's off towards summer. But let me tell you – at this rate, next season could be something really big. Planica has worked its magic once again.