Japan is cheering for Kasai and Damjan!

Japan is cheering for Kasai and Damjan!

24/08/2013 14:55

Jernej Damjan would not have believed that he would be today’s winner in the ninth Summer-Grand-Prix competition in 2013. After an intermingled winter and a great start in the summer-COC with a second place in Kuopio, he’s now back on top. His jump of 119.5m in the first round put him on rank eleven and promised a top ten placement for today. But after he set marvelous 130m in the final round, not even the strong young Poles have been able to overtake him. So he climbed place after place until the second of the first round came: Japan’s Nori Kasai. He was even more eager to get a podium place in his home country then the day before, when he finished fifth. But it was a tight fight. There have been 129.5m to beat. He jumped that length and the whole crowd held its breath for a second to find out about the result. And it showed: With 261.2points both Kasai and Damjan have been on the leading position! There was only the 22-year old Jan Ziobro, leader after his first try, who could have changed anything about a double victory. He gave his best and performed 131.5m – the farthest jump in the whole competition. But in the end, he had a disadvantage of tiny 0.1points and had to be content with the third place.

Anyway, this was an amazing performance of all top ten jumpers! Here are to name Cestmir Kozisek, who missed the podium by inches (124.5/128m; 258.4points); Rok Justin, a new face of the Slovenians, who jumped 128.5 and 126.5m (257.9points) and Krzysztof Biegun, winner of yesterday’s competition, who climbed from the ninth rank up to the sixth. But also his teammate Klemens Muranka (19, of Poland) can claim Hakuba being his best venue right now. In his first SGP ever, he reached place seven two times in a row with having the second best jump of the day: 130.5m (252.1points).

Germany can be proud of the result of Marinus Kraus. The 22-year old from WSV Oberaudorf is jumping his first Summer-Grand-Prix as well and finished on rank seven together with Muranka (127/126.5m).

Although it seems like Damjan and Justin are taking the lead in the Slovenian team for the summer ahead of the big names, also Robert Kranjec could show a nameable performance with a ninth place (124/129m).

The top ten was completed by Taku Takeuchi. Simon Ammann, favorite for today’s win, only reached rank eleven. Also Matjaz Pungertar stayed behind expectations and ended up as 14th.

Aleksander Zniszczol, who has been fifth in the first competition round, seemed to lose his nerves again for his second try as he fell back on place 16.

Nice to mention is Stephan Leyhe’s good second jump that made him climb seven places (22nd).

But the most remarkable fact today, is definitely the twelfth place of Russian Mikhail Maksimochkin. The new blood, who becomes 20 in a few days, has been on the tenth position after the first round with his 129m-jump. In the final round, he could prove with 122m that this hasn’t been because of only having luck. Congrats to him for such an entry into the Summer-Grand-Prix! It seems like we can keep this name in mind.

That was a fantastic Summer-Grand-Prix weekend in Hakuba. Despite the rain yesterday and the windy conditions in today’s race, we can look back on a great show, enthusiastic viewers and a nice and deserved win.

The circus will continue in Nishny Tagil, Russia with competitions of the ladies and men (13-15.09)

• By Peggy Kierstan (@pikayartist)