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Finland's Ilkka Herola pipped Austrian Johannes Lamparter to the finish line on Friday to become the first man to win a Nordic combined World Cup competition with a ski flying portion.
Lamparter eventually paid the price that his monster jump of 236.5 metres on the Kulm hill in Bad Mitterndorf was rated a fall because he touched the snow with his hands after landing.
That resulting poor marks from the judges deprived him of a bigger lead going into the 7.5 kilometres pursuit on a short course at the foot of the jumping hill.
Placed third after a jump of 213m, Herola soon made up a 12-second deficit and then came out of Lamparter's slipstream on the home straight to triumph by one-tenths of a second.
"It is special to win at this place," Herola said after his second career success.
It was the first event on a flying hill and first overall after the Milan/Cortina Olympics where Lamparter won two silver medals and a bronze and Herola a silver and bronze each.
Triple Olympic champion Jens Lurås Oftebro of Norway was fifth which put Lamparter on the brink of the World Cup title with two events left.
There are a maximum 200 points to be won and Lamparter leads Oftebro by 173 points. He can wrap up matters next week in Lahti, Finland.
German David Mach soared a Nordic combined world record 236m in training on Thursday while Marco Heinis recorded a French ski jumping record 233.5m on Friday and eventually finished 13th.
The men's ski jumpers now take over the Kulm hill for flying events Saturday and Sunday. The women jump twice at another Austrian venue in Hinzenbach. Cross country skiers are in Falun, Sweden, for sprint and skiathlon races.
