Watabe's fine form carries into Oslo

Heading into the competition had recorded finishes of second and first in front of his home fans in Sapporo.

And he carried that form over to Norway as he came home in 23:48.8 minutes – after being ranked seventh after the ski-jumping – to claim the win.

And he led three Germans over the line, with runner-up Eric Frenzel 0.4 seconds further back, Bjoern Kircheisen third and Johannes Rydzek jumping up from 19th to finish just off the podium.

And that could prove crucial as Rydzek saw his World Cup lead cut to just six points with three events remaining.

Rydzek still sits pretty atop the standings on 1440, but compatriot Frenzel is hot on his heels while fellow German Fabian Riessle is third on 989 after finishing sixth in Oslo. Victory sees Watabe sit fourth on 926 points.

Sportsbeat 2017