Kuusamo, Finland - German veteran Martin Schmitt faltered when it mattered to gift world and Olympic champions Austria victory in the season-opening team event of the ski-jumping World Cup on Friday. The former world champion Schmitt managed no better than 123 metres on the last jump which gave Austria first place with 1,113,6 points.
Two-time Olympic champion Thomas Morgenstern soared 139m to clinch victory for Austria, which overcame a disaster jump of 112m from world Cup champion Gregor Schlierenzauer. The other Austrian team members were Four Hills champ Wolfgang Loitzl and Andreas Kofler.
The Germans had 1,099.2 points and hosts Finland, boosted by a 140m leap from comeback-man Janne Ahonen, came third with 1,058.0 points.
The ski-jumping World Cup continues on the same Kuusamo large hill with the first individual event of the season on Saturday.
