Sarah Hendrickson won the first World Cup in Hinterzarten ahead of Sara Takanashi and Coline Mattel. Daniela Iraschko fell and is probably injured.
It was a very close result in Hinterzarten today. Last year’s overall World Cup winner Sarah Hendrickson from America won the competition by only 1.2 points ahead of current overall World Cup leader Sara Takanashi from Japan. For Hendrickson, who jumped 97.5 and 98.5 meters today, this is the second season win, after winning already in Sochi in December. “I really like this hill here and I always liked it in the past. It’s a little flying hill and matches my style perfectly. Our team spent the Christmas season at home in America, there we had a training camp in Park City. After returning to Europe for the World Cups in Schonach last week, not only me, but all of the team were really tired and jet-lagged. But now we are in a better condition again, and so I can jump for victory again,” she said.
Second placed Takanashi jumped 99.0 and 98.0 meters, nevertheless she was not totally happy with her jumps: “Both of my jumps were a little late, I need to work on my timing a bit. But I am very happy with my landing and the high style points today”, she said.
Third came Coline Mattel from France by jumping 97.5 meters twice. Like at her last podium finishes in Ramsau and Schonach, she was leading after the first round and then fell back. “I don’t think it’s because of pressure, that I fell back from the first position already for the third time. Usually I have good jumps also in the second round, and also today it was a good one. The two Sara(h)s were just better today. I think it had two really good jumps today and so I am satisfied with my jumping”, she said.
Due to the good weather conditions, this competition could have been one of the nicest ones this winter so far, but unfortunately the atmosphere was marred by the grave looking fall of Austria’s Daniela Iraschko. She fell right after landing her first round jump (97.0 m) and lay for some minutes motionless in the outrun. There is the fear, that she has suffered a knee injury, so she was taken to the hospital in Titisee-Neustadt, where MRI is done at the moment. “That is a big shock for our small team. Now we have to wait for the diagnosis. Daniela landed her jump properly and suddenly her left knee sagged, so that she fell. According to the physicians, she should be fine except of the knee, but at the moment we have to wait for a final diagnosis. Daniela was all the time conscious and approachable”, said Austrian head coach Harald Rodlauer.
Iraschko’s team-mate Jacqueline Seifriedsberger was able to take the fourth place by jumping 96.5 meters twice. Slovenia’s Katja Pozun came fifth with jumps of 97.0 and 96.0 meters and Norway’s Anette Sagen sixth with jumps of 97.5 and 94.5 meters. In the overall World Cup Takanashi extended her lead and has 570 points now. Hendrickson is second (421 points) and Mattel third (408 points).
RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
Results after the 1st round »
Final results of the competition »
Current overall World Cup standings »
Current Nations Cup standings »
UPDATED: 2013-01-12, 17:56