Ski jumper Katharina Althaus celebrates her first World Championships individual medal in Planica. Selina Freitag just missed out on the podium in fourth place on the normal hill.
In the valley of the hills, the ski jumpers started the hunt for medals on Thursday. From a German point of view, two athletes had good prospects for medals. On the one hand Katharina Althaus, who is currently second in the overall World Cup, on the other hand Selina Freitag, who has already been on the podium twice this season.
Strong team performance in the first round
Luisa Görlich was the first German to climb the hill. The 24-year-old landed at 91.5 meters and was 13th after the first round. Her teammate Anna Rupprecht, who was tenth at half-time, jumped almost four meters further.
Selina Freitag experienced the first World Cup of her career in Planica and still didn’t show any nerves. In the first round she managed a strong flight. With 97 meters and a good landing, she was currently in fourth place, just over a point behind the podium places. Shortly after the telemark, she cheered about her performance and then said on the ZDF microphone: “I’m really relieved. The jump was the best so far. It was so much fun.”
gold within reach
Katharina Althaus’ starting position was even better after the first round. With 98.5 meters she achieved the second-best distance in the meantime and so she ranked silver at halftime. Only the Norwegian Anna Odine Stroem was better. Althaus was still within reach of gold, just 4.7 points short.
The top favorite and leader in the overall World Cup, Eva Pinkelnig, didn’t get a perfect jump in the first round and was third at half-time.
Klinec disappointed at home
The jumping was particularly bitter for the Slovenian Ema Klinec: The world champion of 2021 did not get along at all in front of the home crowd. In the first round she was only 21st and could not make up any more places with her second jump.
Things went better for the Germans: 24-year-old Luisa Görlich jumped a meter shorter than before in the second round, but can be very satisfied with a place at the start of the World Cup. Her teammate Anna Rupprecht opened the final of the top ten with a big leap. With the 96-meter jump, the 26-year-old temporarily took the lead and secured a place in the top ten.
Golden finale for Althaus
Selina Freitag started the hunt for a medal at the World Championships as the fourth last jumper. And the 21-year-old managed that, with a jump of 98 meters, Freitag initially took the lead. But the high-flyer of the previous season was still waiting at the top: Eva Pinkelnig. Her goal was the gold medal and she made that clear with a leap over 100 meters – she pushed Friday down to second place.
But also Katharina Althaus, often behind Pinkelnig this season, was on top of the hill and she placed first in front of the Austrian. Was that gold? Last on the beam was Norway’s Anna Odine Ström. But she showed nerves, landed at 95 meters and was not able to displace Althaus.
For the German, this meant the first World Championships individual medal of her career. With tears in her eyes, she said after the competition: “I don’t even know what to say. I’m so happy.” Selina Freitag finished the jumping in thankless fourth place.