The individual/normal hill Olympic champion at Sochi 2014 had only managed a solitary silver medal on the circuit this term as he bids for a sixth overall World Cup crown in a row.

He returned to form today with the 29-year-old putting in a superb display to reignite his Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic campaign.

The 29-year-old has now won 42 times on the World Cup circuit in all.

It was the tightest of victories, however, as he won by just 0.7 seconds in front of team-mate Fabian Rießle following an exciting cross-country ski.

Frenzel was third best after the ski jumping phase, registering a jump of 96 metres for 123.0 points.

That meant he started the skiing leg 12 seconds behind jumping winner Taihei Kato of Japan, who lept 97m for a points tally of 125.9.

The Japanese also had an eight-second head-start over the Czech Republic's second place jumper Tomas Portyk, who ended with 124 points after a jump of 96.5m.

Frenzel showed excellent pace on the ski to win in 24min 17.8sec as Rießle rose from sixth after the jumping into silver medal position.

Norway's Jan Schimd, the 10th best jumper, ended third as he finished eight seconds behind Frenzel.

Kato faded during the ski and came home in 23rd.

World Cup leader Espen Andersen of Norway could only finish 14th as he failed to make it three victories this season.

He kept hold of his place at the summit of the rankings, however, and now boasts 294 points.

Schmid is second on 283 in front of Japan's Akito Watabe, who has 269.

Frenzel has now climbed up to fifth following his maiden win on the 2017-2018 circuit.

A second World Cup will be held in Ramsau tomorrow, the last event of 2017.

It will again feature a cross-country ski of 10 kilometres following the jumping.