Anette Sagen wins in Oberwiesenthal, Ulrike Grässler and Melanie Faisst ranked second and third.
Due to inconstant wind conditions, only one official training round was held in the morning. Twelve year old Japanese Sara Takanashi was able to use the good conditions she had at her jump and set the longest distance. The Norwegian team, that started in Bischofsgrün and Pöhla only with two competitors, Mari Backe and Silje Sprakehaug, showed up in Oberwiesenthal with a much bigger team. Their experienced jumpers Helena Olsson Smeby and Anette Sagen were able to place on ranks two and three of the training round. Most competitors of the German team, that is here a little smaller then in Pöhla, skipped the training round.
About 150 spectators did come to see the competition. But those really made a lot of noise and made it a nice atmosphere. In the first competition round in the afternoon Sagen was able to take the lead with a 94.5 m jump, ahead of Germans Ulrike Grässler (93.5 m) and Melanie Faisst (91.5 m). On ranks four to six followed Lisa Demetz (ITA, 90.0 m), Olsson Smeby (89.5 m) and Caroline Espiau (FRA, 89.0 m).
In the second round long jumps brought Americas’s Sarah Hendrickson and Norway’s Line Jahr, 13th and 16th after the first round, forward to a shared sixth place. Olsson Smeby (85.5 m) was able to take over Demetz (83.0 m) and set to the fourth rank. 89.0 meters were enough for Faisst to secure her third rank. When Grässler then did a 99.0 m jump, at first the stadium’s commentator announced, that she got two 20.0 judges marks for it. Just a moment later she called out that this was corrected and only one 20.0 was given. When finally the printed result was available, it turned out, that there was no 20.0 at all. So we all still have to wait for the first 20.0 ever in the Ladies COC. Grässler was happy with the jump anyway: The second one was good. I am satisfied, she said to Ladies-Skijumping.com. Last starter of the round Sagen had to wait some minutes before starting as wind was blowing to strong. Finally her 98.0 meter jump was enough for her to win the competition, as her advantage to Grässler from the first round was big enough. I have not jumped too much, as I had an injury in march. I was at home training. Jumping was fun today. The hill is good, you can fly here, Sagen said to Ladies-Skijumping.com.
During the whole competition, the outrun of the hill, that is covered with an artificial lawn and makes a slight curve to the left, turned out to be a problem. As braking was very hard on it, many jumpers crashed into the wooden fence on the side of the outrun and got some cuts or burnings on their hands and arms. Also many fell when sliding over the carpet. Worst fall happened to Espiau, who injured her knee.
As the weather forecast announces a lot of wind for tomorrow afternoon, tomorrow’s competition was rescheduled to 8:00 am.
RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
The results after the 1st round »
The final results of the competition »
Current overall standings of the Ladies CoC…»