In one of the most dramatic finales to date, Jurij Tepes claimed victory with a huge points total of 436.4, effectively denying team-mate Peter Prevc the chance of taking the crystal globe as, despite an opening effort of 236.5 metres, he came up just short and had to settle for second. 

That result meant Prevc and Freund were level on 1,729 points, but the German clinched the title by virtue of earning more wins over the course of the campaign.

He is the first German to lift the overall title for 15 years.

The thrilling event in Slovenia also included a perfect score of 20 points from the five judges for Tepes' second jump as he leapt a colossal 244m, following his first jump of 230.5m.

Prevc, the laader after the opening round, was just 2.8 points shy of Tepes' haul and, therefore, narrowly missed out on the overall crown.

Few, however, can complain about the final outcome as Freund had been in superb form throughout the season, including a run of four straight wins only ended by the Slovenian yesterday.

Slovenia's Peter Prevc narrowly missed out on the overall FIS Ski Jumping World Cup title as he finished second behind team-mate Jurij Tepes in Planica ©Getty Images



World champion Rune Velta was third on the day thanks to jumps of 230.5m and 226.5m, while Austria Stefan Kraft ended the campaign by coming fourth, finishing third overall. 

It proved to be a successful day for the German team as a whole as their performance ensured they claimed the Nations' Cup trophy, finishing 37 points ahead of the Norwegians.

Austria were third, as Michael Neumayer, Markus Eisenbichler and Richard Freitag came in 19th, 22nd and 23rd respectively.

Prevc did enjoy individual success as he was named the best ski flyer of the season, but the prize he truly wanted got away in a breathtaking finish.

Freund meanwhile became only the third German to win the overall title since the International Ski Federation (FIS) launched the World Cup in 1979.

He follows Jens Weißflog, the winner in 1984 when representing East Germany, and Martin Schmitt, champion in 1999 and 2000. 

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