Double Norwegians in Willingen – Kvandal Delivers a Monster Jump

Eirin Maria Kvandal lit up the Willingen ski jump when she delivered the best performance in such challenging wind conditions, taking her second World Cup victory of the season. Kvandal, who has now stood on the podium in all of the last five World Cup events, achieved jump distances of 137 and 144.5 meters during the competition – a performance that earned her career’s seventh win.

The Norwegian flyer from Mosjøen was in a league of her own after an adventurous second jump. Finishing second was Anna Odine Strøm, who recorded jumps of 139 and 137 meters. The round was tough, as wind conditions forced officials to cancel the qualification after 31 competitors and many athletes struggled during the first round, with several failing to register a valid jump before conditions slightly improved in the final round.

Other competitors included Thea Minyan Bjørseth, who ended up in fourth place with jumps of 129.5 and 136.5 meters – a performance that, according to expert Andreas Stjernen, did not earn her enough points in the final round. In addition, Ingvild Synnøve Midtskogen delivered a solid first-round jump of 130 meters, eventually finishing ninth after a slight drop in the final round, while Heidi Dyhre Tråserud managed jumps of 111 and 118 meters to finish 23rd.

Norwegian athletes have now claimed all of the last five World Cup podiums in this discipline, with Kvandal accumulating two victories, two second places, and one third place; Bjørseth posting a second and a third place; and Strøm registering a second-place finish. The next round of the World Cup will be held in Lake Placid, USA, with further competitions scheduled in Ljubno, Slovenia and Hinzenbach, Austria before the World Championships in Granåsen.

(©NTB)