Sarah Hendrickson won in Bischofsgrün ahead of Sara Takanashi and Anna Häfele. The competition was influenced by changing wind conditions.
After there was sticky weather with some scattered showers all day here in Bischofsgrün, it started heavily to rain just in the minute when everyone was ready to start the trial round. The trial round was postponed by half an hour. Indeed the rain stopped after 20 minutes, and then there was really nice sunshine and quite warm temperatures here. Nice for all of the approximately 1000 spectators that made it to the hill. But for the competition, the weather conditions were not so perfect as they looked like. There were some gusts of wind blowing on the hill from time to time. While most of the jumpers were able to jump under calm conditions, some had to fight severe tailwind.
At the end of the first competition round, when the bests of yesterday’s competition jumped, there were almost equal conditions as wind was calm. They all were able to confirm their good performance of the day before and America’s Sarah Hendrickson (65.5 m) took the lead ahead of Germany’s Anna Häfele (66.0 m) and Sara Takanashi (JPN, 65.0 m). But right before the jump of yesterday’s winner Jenna Mohr (GER) the conditions changed and she had to fight against tailwind. Thus she was only able to take the 18th round rank. Remarkably also Ulrike Grässler, overall winner of last years summer CoC, who already was unlucky yesterday, had also to fight tailwind and did not see the second round.
“It was not easy today, because the wind veered. For sure it affected our team. Actually I do not understand, why Rolf Feuchtenberger, the chief of competition, did not do more breaks when there was wind. There was no need to hurry at all,” said German coach Christian Bruder to Ladies-Skijumping com.
In the second round, there were again calm conditions, when the leaders after the first round jumped. Hendrickson was able to secure her second win in a CoC with a jump on 65.0 m. She confirmed, that no wind influenced her jumps: “I did not notice any wind. It seemed pretty consistent,” she said to Ladies-Skijumping.com. Second place took Takanashi (65.5 m), third Häfele (65.5 m). “I want to hold my ground at the top and gain more good ranks in the next competitions,” Häfele said. Fourth rank was taken by Ayumi Watase (JPN, 64.0 and 64.5 m) ahead of America’s Abby Hughes (65.0 and 64.0 m). Japanese Yuuki Itoh was able to jump from nine to six in the second round (63.0 and 64.0 m). With three among the top six, Japan was clearly the best team of the competition.
In the overall Continental Cup Hendrickson is now in the lead (160 points). Second rank is shared by Hughes and Takanashi (125 points each). On the fourth rank is Mohr (116 points), on the fifth Häfele (100 points).
RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
The results after the 1st round »
The final results of the competition »
Current overall standings of the Ladies CoC…»