We finish our series of pre-season team checks with a close look at the team of the United States of America.
2009 World Champion Lindsey Van is still the embodiment of ski jumping in the U.S. There were not many competitions in the last years, where she did not make a top ten result. Only at her two appearances this summer she performed a little weaker then usual. She is going to skip the inaugural World Cup in Lillehammer and enter the season in January in Schonach, because she has some training deficit due to a surgery on her ankle some weeks ago. Moreover she will donate her bone marrow for someone suffering from leukemia this December. This will also affect her training for a few days. So we can only wait and see in which form she will be in January.
Jessica Jerome is one of the jumpers that make it constantly to the top ten. Obviously her preferred position is the third place – she took this rank already 15 times in her career. This summer she showed up in a very good form, so maybe more third places will follow this winter. Who knows?
Sarah Hendrickson competed only at few Continental Cups in the last winter and skipped the whole summer season. But if she manages to jump like in the past, she will be regularly among the top ten and has the potential to make it to the podium from time to time.
For years Abby Hughes and Alissa Johnson jump on the same performance level. Both constantly made it to the top twenty and sometimes had a top ten result. Most likely they will be able to do likewise this winter.