Sara Takanashi dominates trainings in Falun!

Sara Takanashi dominates trainings in Falun!

15/03/2014 10:57

The Ladies' World Cup winter season slowly comes to the end. It might seem that for three competitions before the end of the World Cup rivalry, when it isn't a secret that the second overall victory in a row goes to Sara Takanashi, the competitions won't be exciting, but in my opinion it will be a bit different.

Of course there is no doubt that currently the best female ski jumper is Takanashi. This young, talented Japanese girl proves it in almost every competition. In Swedish Falun (where will be held last two World Cup competitions before the final in Planica) the history from the previous competitions seems to repeat. In the official trainings before today's individual competition she was second to none. Takanashi won all three training rounds in amazing style.

In the first training she jumped 97 meters and she won ahead of her teammate Yuki Ito who jumped 94 meters and representative of Germany Carina Vogt, who came back to the international rivalry after short break caused by pain in knee and yesterday jumped 90 meters. Very good, fourth place in the training took Canadian Taylor Henrich, who gained second distance of this training - 95 meters. In the Top 10 of this training round were also: Maja Vtic from Slovenia (91,5 meter), Norway's Line Jahr (87,5m), German Ulrike Graessler (87,5m), Julia Clair from France (87,5m), Finland's Julia Kykkaenen (89m) and Coline Mattel (88m).

The second training also belonged to Takanashi, which jumped 93,5 meters. Second place took for the second time another representative of Japan Yuki Ito, who landed on 92,5 meter. Third were ex aequo olympic bronze medalist from Sochi Coline Mattel with jump on 87 meters and the best among Finnish ladies Julia Kykkaenen who jumped 87 meters. At the forefront of this training were also: Maja Vtic (87,5m), Ulrike Graessler (86m), Julia Clair (87m), Jessica Jerome from the USA (86,5m), another Slovene Katja Pozun (85,5m) and representative of Canada Atsuko Tanaka (86m).

Third training also won Sara Takanashi (94m) with big advantage ahead of Yuki Ito (88m) and Jessica Jerome (87,5m). In the Top 10 of the last training placed also: Julia Kykkaenen (87m), Katja Pozun (85,5m), Line Jahr (86m), Julia Clair (85m), Maren Lundby (83,5m), Atsuko Tanaka (84,5m) and Coline Mattel (84m).

To the rivarly in the World Cup after the shoulder surgery came back experienced and titled representative of Norway Anette Sagen.

By Anna Sobol (@AnneAZS)