What happened this week in the world of ski jumping
What happened this week in the world of ski jumping
Since our last issue, there was a lot happening in ski jumping and we would like to bring you up to date with the remarkable things!
The German team among Richard Freitag, Severin Freund, Marinus Kraus and Michael Neumayer won the team event in Zakopane and followed the suggestion of Kamil Stoch to donate their prize money to Nick Fairall's rehabilitation fund. Also Kamil Stoch donated his prize money after winning the individual competition the next day. A fund raising among coaches and athletes brought more than 8.000€ and ski jumping long term sponsors OMV and Volksbank put together 10.000€ to help the American to recover after his severe crash in Bischofshofen. Meanwhile after we reported last Saturday, also the FIS reported about Wojciech Fortuna's aim to raise 50.000€ for his Olympic medal to support Nick.
The USA Ski Jumping fund raising for him on rallyme.com kicked the goal of 25.000$ on Friday and people keep donating!
Again, that's a big shoutout of respect and happiness to the whole ski jumping community out there! We are a family!
However, the victory for the German team is the second this season and underlines their incredible performance as a team on a high level. Also the individual win for Kamil Stoch was important for him, not only because it was set in Zakopane in front of thousands of Polish fans but also because it is his first victory this season after his ankle injury that kept him behind in training. This is why it's even more remarkable for him!
(picture taken from Carina's facebook page)
Besides, the ladies left Japan, after Carina Vogt took her first World-Cup victory in Zao, while Eva Pinkelnig celebrated her best ever result on rank 4. At the same time the men's circus headed to Japan, to compete in Sapporo. The first race this morning (Saturday) was won by Peter Prevc ahead of Stefan Kraft and Roman Koudelka; earlier that morning, Manuel Poppinger won the qualification that was postponed from Friday due to wind and snowfall. Vincent Descombes-Sevoie got is best ever result as 9th in this morning's race! Besides, Austria was able to grab the lead in the nation cup standing with placing 3 athletes in the top ten today (Poppinger, Hayböck and Kraft).
Taku Takeuchi is really happy to be home again, as he is back together with his „son“ as he titled a picture with him and his puppy. On the other hand, Tom Hilde has to get along with his „enemy“ there are he wrote, while having a coffee with Michael Hayböck and Stefan Kraft.
In the COC, Will Rhoads celebrated his first podium on the 2nd rank behind Phillip Sjoeen and ahead of Kenneth Gangnes. Congrats to this huge success for him and the US team!
Speaking of the US: The US Cup, which sees national team members as well as international competitiors is broadcasted via livestream.com, where you can get a free account to watch the videos of the previous events and livestream of the current ones. The US-Cup in Minneapolis on Wednesday night saw Finland's Anselmi Ilola winning ahead of David Krapez from Slovenia and USA's Nick Mattoon! That was already the 3rd stop of the Cup, which continues in Fox River Grove, Illinois this weekend.
Additionally, there have been Finnish nationals in Lahti today. Janne Ahonen, who didn't compete internationally this season so far but will return in Willingen, took the victory ahead of Anssi Koivuranta and Jarkko Määttä.
(found on Mäkihypyn Normaalimäen SM facebook)
And for all those, who would like to see a video with highlights from Sapporo, have a look here (sorry, it's not available in Germany – complain at FIS Ski Jumping):
- by Peggy Kierstan
