Women Ski Jumpers Open 2007 Season
Kimball Junction, UT (Friday, July 21, 2006) -
Crowds gather at Utah Olympic Park to witness Continental Cup women's ski jumping Friday evening. |
With an appreciative crowd of upwards of a thousand spectators carpeting the bottom of UOP's normal hill (HS100) jump, Seyfahrt had the longest jump in each round and compiled 235.5 points for the victory. German women arrived late Wednesday night for the events, which have attracted skiers from eight nations from the VISA weekend.
Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT), who continues to blend fulltime studies at Westminster College in Salt Lake City under a USSA scholarship arrangement, had the top U.S. result finishing fourth. She jumped 89 and 87 meters in the still air, finishing with 213.0 points.
Lindsey Van fought takeoff problems on her second jump and dropped only one notch to fifth. Alissa Johnson (also Park City) was ninth with Abby Hughes (also Park City) 11th and Brenna Ellis (also Park City) 12th. All five women have been nominated to the first U.S. Women's Ski Jumping Team, which is expected to be formalized later this summer.
"Five women in the top 12, and others having their personal bests. I'll take it. This has been a tough week and the girls have handled it pretty well," said U.S. Head Coach Casey Colby. "It's a good start, and now we can make some improvements [Saturday night]."
The brutal heat and the dying breezes, which gave no air to the last 15 or so skiers in the first round - and throughout the second round, were a tough 1-2 punch for the women.
"I was happy about the jumping," Jerome said, "but the conditions were just a little bit off, so hopefully we can fix that [Saturday]...
"The first round there was a lot of air and then for the last 10 or 15 girls it was just dead. It turned around in just seconds...and then in the second round, there was no air again. The thing is, good air, bad air, whatever...as long as it's consistent and the first round definitely was not consistent," Jerome said. "Second round, it was...just...dead."
She also saluted Seyfahrt's victory. "Juliane is jumping very well and I'm happy for her. It's a much-deserved win."
Said Colby, "Good start for the first competition. We just came from two months off, then a couple of club competitions and now this, going to the highest level - and it's been pretty intense for them, media wise and that great crowd. I'd say it was a good day and now the butterflies should be out and [Saturday] they'll just relax.
U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner said he also was pleased with the U.S. women's showing - and with the enthusiastic crowd, which included not only family and friends but a healthy delegation of young women softball players (many in uniform) for a week-long tournament in Park City.
"The National Sports Foundation and Women's Ski Jumping USA did an outstanding job making this happen, making it a real celebration of the progress women's jumping made when it was added to the '09 Worlds," Bodensteiner said. "It's a great example of the support women's jumping has and can create."
The VISA weekend continues Saturday with the second normal hill jump meet before the women head to Calgary for two more competitions.
WOMEN'S CONTINENTAL CUP SKI JUMPING
VISA Women's Ski Jumping Festival
Utah Olympic Park - July 21, 2006
Normal Hill (HS100 - jump distances in meters)
1. Juliane Seyfahrt, Germany, (96-92.5 meters) 235.5 points
2. Daniela Irachko, Austria, (93-88.5) 227.5
3. Line Jahr, Norway, (92.5-87) 222.0
4. Jessica Jerome, Park City, Utah, (89-87) 213.0
5. (tie) Lindsey Van, Park City, Utah, (91.5-82.5) and Katie Willis, Canada, (89-87.5), 212.5 each
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9. Alissa Johnson, Park City, Utah, (86.5-87) 207.5
11. Abby Hughes, Park City, Utah, (85.5-83) 195.0
12. Brenna Ellis, Park City, Utah, (81-81) 180.0
18. Avery Ardovino, Park City, Utah, (82-73) 163.5
21. Karla Keck, Oconomowoc, Wis., (73.5-72.5) 140.5
24. Karin Friberg, St. Paul, Minn., (69-70) 120.5
26. Elisabeth Anderson, Eau Claire, Wis., (62.5-60) 92.5
27. Brittany Rhoads, Park City, Utah, (58.5-63) 82.0