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Women ski jumpers head to inaugural World Cup - finally! |
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Tuesday, November 29, 2011 21:20 |
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The Associated Press
GENEVA — The inaugural World Cup season in women’s ski jumping begins in Norway on Saturday on the Lillehammer hill used by the men at the 1994 Olympics.
About 50 ski jumpers from 15 countries are expected to compete after the International Ski Federation finally persuaded the Olympic movement that the sport had the depth and quality required to become part of the Winter Games in 2014.
“From my experience, 50 women would be a nice number,” said Chika Yoshida, the FIS coordinator for women’s ski jumping. “If we have a chance to show off our sport, women’s ski jumping will take off.”
FIS announced the first women’s World Cup calendar last April, one week after the International Olympic Committee approved the sport for the 2014 Sochi Games.
The IOC had twice rejected women’s ski jumping for the 2010 Vancouver program, arguing that it lacked elite competition.
Lillehammer opens a 14-event season, hosted at nine venues in seven countries. It ends in March in Oslo, where the sport earned its Olympic credibility last season.
In fog and high winds last March, 43 women contesting the world championships showed the IOC how far their sport had progressed. Silver medalist Elena Runggaldier of Italy defied the difficult weather to record the longest leap of 97.5 meters.
The women’s second-tier Continental Cup began only seven years ago. Men’s ski jumping was part of the first Winter Olympics, in 1924 in Chamonix, France.
“It has had to grow up quite quickly,” Yoshida said by phone.
Yoshida now wants to build on the IOC’s show of faith.
“I really feel an extremely big responsibility with all the organizers and athletes,” she said in a phone interview. “Everything is a challenge, not just for the athletes.”
World champion Daniela Iraschko of Austria, who also won the Continental Cup at Lillehammer last year, is the favorite this season.
Lindsey Van, who won the inaugural worlds in 2009, joins a strong American challenge with teammate Jessica Jerome. Teenagers Coline Mattel of France and Sara Takanashi of Japan are also expected to contend.
Learn more about American ski jumpers at the USA team website.
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