“As if that wasn’t enough”
Ski jumping ace has to end season
01/16/2025 – 10:07 amReading time: 1 min.
The ski jumpers continue on Saturday in Sapporo, Japan. But a top performer will miss the World Cup – and has to end the season.
When the best ski jumpers in the world around Katharina Schmid compete in Sapporo on Saturday, one of the Germans’ competitors will not be there: Nika Vodan. The 24-year-old Slovenian announced her end of the season on Instagram.
Vodan, who last took part in the World Cup in China in mid-December, explained that her season had already gotten off to a slow start and that she had not achieved the desired results in training either. “It was a big mental blow for me and I knew that I needed some time for myself, more individual training and to boost my self-confidence,” said the ski jumper.
Then she admits: “And as if all that wasn’t enough, shortly afterwards the injury to my right knee occurred.” She tried everything with the team to be able to continue competing in the World Cup – without success. Therefore, she announced: “This means that this season is over for me and in the meantime I promise that I will work hard for next season while cheering on and rooting for our girls.”
In her career so far, Vodan has won six World Cup victories in the individual and three in the team. She also holds her personal distance record of 193.5 meters. She achieved this in Vikersund in 2023. At the 2022 Olympic Games, Vodan became Olympic champion with the team and also won bronze on the normal hill.