Simon Ammann of Switzerland has come second in the latest leg of the Four Hills ski jumping tournament.

Ammann, the overall World Cup leader, had 274.6 points after jumps of 140 and 134.5 metres in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen meet in Germany on Thursday.

First place went to Wolfgang Loitzl of Austria who captured his first World Cup victory with jumps of 134.5 and 136.5 meters in the annual New Year's Day meet for a total of 276.3 points.

Harri Olli of Finland was third. Competitors had to deal with changing weather conditions during both jumps.

Loitzl leads the Four Hills tournament with 562 points, just one ahead of Ammann with two meets left. Ammann, a double Olympic gold medallist and 2007 world champion, had previously been in the lead after winning the first stage on Monday.

However, Ammann extended his lead in the overall World Cup standings with 765 points, 155 ahead of Gregor Schlierenzauer. Loitzl is third with 539.

The Four Hills tournament is a combination of four ski jumping World Cup events. After the World Cup and the Winter Olympics, it is the most sought-after title in ski jumping.

The tournament wraps up with meets in Innsbruck, Austria, on January 4 and Bischofshofen, Austria, on January 6.

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