| 01 | Huber, D. |  |
487.7 | |
| 02 | Prevc, D. | |
444.3 | |
| 03 | Zniszczol, A. | |
438.1 | |
| 04 | Kraft, S. | |
436.4 | |
| 05 | Zyla, P. | |
424.9 | |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
It's moments like these, when results in professional sports get a different meaning beyond the result list. Then, when an obviously tired but satisfied Sarah Hendrickson, who just found her way through a mixed zone full of Japanese TV stations, gets hugged by her teammate Lindsey Van and the World Champion of 2009 whispers in the ear of the overall World Cup winner 2011: "I am proud of you".
Watch the best jumps from Zao »
Five words. That's all it takes. What Sarah Hendrickson showed this winter - strong jumps, strong nerves, strong performances - not only makes Van proud, or Hendrickson herself, of coach Paolo Bernardi, but the whole sport. And now it's done, at 3:15 pm local time, on March 3rd in Zao (JPN); not far from Fukushima, Hendrickson is the glorious winner.
Sarah Hendrickson, Sara Takanashi, Ulrike Graessler
Hendrickson is a 17-year-old teenager, who is honest enough to admit in front of 70 Japanese media representatives: "I know it's a historical moment to win the first ever overall World Cup in women's ski jumping. But I will need months or even years to realize what it really means."
The American, who already came to Japan with a good lead, won the day's first competition ahead of Sara Takanashi of Japan and Austrian Daniela Iraschko - not because of the distances, but because of the points. She extended her lead. And when the second competition was cancelled after one round due to problems with the inrun track, Hendrickson was second, ahead of Ulrike Graessler (GER) and behind Sara Takanashi. The fight for the overall title was over and ended with a well-deserved victory for Hendrickson.
It might be significant that the World Cup was decided in Japan, a country with history and tradition (also in ski jumping). Sara Takanashi's jump on 102.5 m in the second competition was not only a hill record, but also once again showed on what a high level the gold medalist of the Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck and Junior World Champion is jumping. "The spectators gave me strength and, this way, helped me to jump that far", she said later with the typical Japanese modesty. Takanashi was busy answering all the questions of the media afterwards. She is the fourth winner in this World Cup season, after Hendrickson, Sabrina Windmueller (SUI) and Daniela Iraschko.
The performances of Sarah and Sara outshined the performances of athletes who left their mark on ski jumping over the last years. Daniela Iraschko, World Champion 2011, was third in the first competition, Ulrike Graessler, silver medalist of the World Championships 2009, finished third in the second event. Graessler also lost her third place in the overall World Cup ranking to Takanashi.
Did a generation change in women's ski jumping start in Zao 2012? Is the time of Lindsey Van, Daniela Iraschko, Ulrike Graessler over? "They will have to work really hard to do better than the two best right now. They will have to get close to their limit in every jump - less will not be enough", is the opinion of some coaches. But of course Iraschko and Co. are not thinking about giving up. "I will fight to be in the Top 3 in Oslo", said Graessler, and Iraschko added: "I did also not win the first World Championships, but the second. Why shall it not be the same in the World Cup?"
The challenge is issued. But on days that make history, Hendrickson and Takanashi are now the favorites. "It's too early to talk about Gold in Sochi", said the American. "Of course with results like these I'm hot for Olympic Gold. But a lot can happen until 2014." And Takanashi is not only successful at the hills, the Japanese is also on top in a poll of national media: Who do the Japane want to have as their child or grand-child.
Results competition 1 in Zao »
Results competition 2 in Zao »
| 01 | Huber, D. | |
487.7 | |
| 02 | Prevc, D. | |
444.3 | |
| 03 | Zniszczol, A. | |
438.1 | |
| 04 | Kraft, S. | |
436.4 | |
| 05 | Zyla, P. | |
424.9 | |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Kraft, S. | |
2149 | 0 |
| 02 | Kobayashi, R. | |
1673 | 0 |
| 03 | Wellinger, A. | |
1488 | 0 |
| 04 | Hoerl, J. | |
1140 | 0 |
| 05 | Prevc, P. | |
1071 | 0 |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Kraft, S. | |
2494.7 | 0 |
| 02 | Prevc, P. | |
2369.1 | 0 |
| 03 | Huber, D. | |
2326.7 | 6 |
| 04 | Zajc, T. | |
2281.9 | 3 |
| 05 | Hayboeck, M. | |
2239.8 | 0 |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Pinkelnig, E. | |
244.9 | |
| 02 | Loutitt, A. | |
242.1 | |
| 03 | Prevc, N. | |
235.6 | |
| 04 | Takanashi, S. | |
232.2 | |
| 05 | Bjoerseth, T. | |
229.1 | |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Prevc, N. | |
1454 | 0 |
| 02 | Pinkelnig, E. | |
1305 | 0 |
| 03 | Loutitt, A. | |
1030 | 1 |
| 04 | Ito, Y. | |
1018 | 1 |
| 05 | Seifriedsberger | |
935 | 0 |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Ortner, M. | |
1243 | 0 |
| 02 | Schuster, J. | |
1195 | 0 |
| 03 | Moerth, F. | |
806 | 2 |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Kvandal, E. | |
1790.4 | 0 |
| 02 | Opseth, S. | |
1638.4 | 5 |
| 03 | Pinkelnig, E. | |
1634.9 | 1 |
| 04 | Schmid, K. | |
1599.6 | 0 |
| 05 | Prevc, N. | |
1579.0 | 2 |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
| 01 | Erzar, T. | |
654 | 0 |
| 02 | Wiegele, H. | |
572 | 0 |
| 03 | Graesli, K. | |
436 | 0 |
| Sluttresultat » | ||||
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