Big changes for the SC Schönwald. Iraschko returns victorios to the Continental Cup. German team strongest of all. Prize giving ceremony held in children’s hospital. Kykkänen falls in training.
The Ski Club Schönwald had to move its Continentalcup competition to the Langenwaldschanze jumping hill in five kilometre away Schonach, as their own Adlerschanze jumping hill was abandoned due to a outrunning hill certificate. This competition marked also the end of the FIS Ladies Grand Prix, the first series ever in women’s ski jumping, that was hosted by SC Schönwald since 1999. As RastbĂĽchl, Grand Prix co-organizer for years, is not hosting a Continentalcup this season the decision was made to stop this series.
The local marching band and musket marksmen welcomed about one hundred spectators to the competition in Schonach. Sunny weather and very low wind were the base for a nice and fair competition. After the first round the Germans Anna Häfele and Ulrike Grässler were both in the lead with equal points. A 96.0 m jump in the second round was enough for Daniela Iraschko (AUT), who did not start in any international competition since March 2008, to jump from five to one. The hill here is difficult to jump and normally not my cup of tea. But now I know what I have to do here Iraschko said after the competition. With this victory she made also clear that she is on the list for the World Championships in Liberec. The hill there is easy to jump. I think I can do it there she announces self-confident.
In spite of not being victorious today, the Germans demonstrated once again the strength of their whole team. With Grässler and Magdalena Schnurr taking places two and three and Häfele and Jenna Mohr placed fifth and eighth they had four athletes within the top ten. Häfele is still leading the overall Contincup’s standings followed by Gräßler and Anette Sagen (NOR).
After the competition there was only a short flower ceremony in the hills outrun. The national anthem of Austria was played by the marching band. The prize giving ceremony was held in Schönwald in a cancer hospital for children two hours after the competitions end. The organizing Ski Club Schönwald was proud to hand over the trophies and thanked Lindsey Van (USA) and Line Jahr (NOR) for joining their competition already for the eleventh time. During a short presentation of all participants the attendant crowd gave some extra applause for Julia Kykkänen who spectacularly fell in Fridays official training round but fortunately took no serious injuries and was able to start in the competition. The hospital’s children were proud to catch many autographs by the athletes, especially the German team had a lot of work with writing.