Daniela Iraschko wins Saturday’s Continental Cup ahead of Ulrike Grässler. Anette Sagen takes the third rank.
The inrun track was prepared very good today, so all jumpers had a very high speed, despite the inrun was clearly shorter then in yesterday’s training. Wind was low at all times, so equal conditions were given for all. The few spectators that came to support the athletes were able to enjoy sunshine while watching the competition.
There was a short moment of shock in the trial round, when Russia’s Anastasia Gladysheva lost her left ski just after jumping off and crashed onto the hill. Luckily she was not hurt at all, but she had to skip today’s competition.
It was very close between winner Daniela Iraschko (AUT) and second ranked Grässler (GER). In the first round both jumped over the hill size mark. Grässler had a good jump on 98.0 meters. Iraschko jumped even a half a meter longer, but had problems landing properly, so she was only 0.5 points ahead, due to the judges marks. “You notice the distances of the jumpers before you, so it is a little bit hard. But for sure it is relaxed to jump close to a hill’s limit. There was still some fresh snow in the lower part of the landing hill, so it is not easy to land there properly,” Iraschko said to Ladies-Skijumping.com.
In the second round, that was started with one gate less inrun, Grässler jumped on 94.5 m, Iraschko on 95.5 m. Despite Grässler again got higher judges points, her longer distance was enough for Iraschko to win the competition with an advantage of 1.5 points. “There is nothing nicer than winning in your own country. Of course you are a little bit more stressed, but your family is there, you know a lot of people,” she said to Ladies-Skijumping.com.
Also Grässler was happy with her second rank. “Of course it is a little bit annoying to be second, when it is such a close result. Looks like I am missing some luck right now. I think we were basically equal today. Especially my first jump today was really good,” she said to Ladies-Skijumping.com
Third ranked Anette Sagen (NOR) jumped on 94.0 and 89.0 meters. “Daniela is not 40 points ahead anymore and that makes the competition exciting. For sure I still believe, that I can win in that season. I do not jump in my best form right now, but hopefully I can do better at the next competitions, and then the possibility to win is a bit bigger,” she said to Ladies-Skijumping.com.
Austrias Jacqueline Seifriedsberger took the fourth rank (91.0 and 89.5 m), ahead of Sarah Hendrickson (USA, 89.0 and 89.5 m) and Alissa Johnson (USA, 89.5 and 86.0).
In the overall Continental Cup first ranked Iraschko has now 1184 points. Grässler (887 points) was able to overtake Sagen (880 points) and is now on the second place.
RESULTS AND STANDINGS:
The results after the 1st round »
The final results of the competition »
Current overall standings of the Ladies CoC…»