Helena Olsson Smeby wins qualification in Hinterzarten

Helena Olsson Smeby wins qualification in Hinterzarten

20/12/2013 20:59

Photo credits Consuelo Conte © Skijumpingitaly

Behind us are first official jumps on the HS-108 hill in German Hinterzarten. Today were held two rounds of training and also qualifications. On both trainings the best was Japanese Sara Takanashi, but in qualification round triumphed experienced Norwegian Helena Olsson Smeby. In her first jump Sara Takanashi gained 101 meters and that lenghth gave her win in the first round of training. Only half meter closer landed Austrian Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, who finished second. Third place went to the representative of hosts Carina Vogt (98,5m). The subsequent winner of qualifications Helena Olsson Smeby took 4th place with distance of 97,5 meter, tied with representative of Slovenia Katja Pozun, who flew as far as Smeby. The second training round also belonged to Sara Takanashi, who jumped on a distance of 105,5m. Second place went to Daniela Iraschko-Stolz with the distance 103m and third was her compatriot Jacqueline Seifriedsberger with a jump on 102,5m. The best in the qualifications turned out to be Norway's Helena Olsson Smeby by jumping 99,5 meters. The second place took Atsuko Tanaka from Canada (99,0m) and third was Irina Avvakumova from Russia (99,5m). However the most shocking and dangerous moment of this day was crash of Jacqueline Seifriedsberger from Austria, who suffered a fall in the second training round, after landing on 102.5 meters. She lost control over her right ski and terribly fell, damaging her knee. Seifriedsberger was taken to hospital for examinations. It seems that she suffered a knee injury, but we still wait for official information about her health. by Anna Sobol (AnneAZS)