Klinec and Kraft Triumph in Challenging Courchevel Competition

The opening day of the FIS Grand Prix 2024 in Courchevel, nestled in the stunning French Alps, tested the limits of every athlete. Faced with unpredictable weather, including fierce winds, rain, and significant temperature shifts, the competition saw frequent interruptions. Ultimately, it was two seasoned competitors who emerged victorious across the two events, although the men's competition was full of surprises.

In the women's event, Eva Klinec from Slovenia claimed victory after a grueling 2-hour and 24-minute competition, finishing ahead of Japan's Sara Takanashi and Jacqueline Seifriedsberger from Austria. The frequent disruptions contributed to the competition's extended duration, but Klinec remained undeterred, delivering impressive performances in both rounds. Her efforts secured her a remarkable 11.8-point lead over Takanashi.

Klinec’s triumph was bolstered by solid performances from other competitors, including Lisa Eder (4th), Josephine Pagnier (5th), and the overall World Cup champion, Nika Prevc from Slovenia (6th).

Italian athlete Annika Sieff finished in 7th place, followed by Karolina Indrackova from the Czech Republic in 8th, while Abigail Strate and Alexandria Loutitt from Canada rounded out the top 10. Notably, no German jumpers participated in the event.

On the men's side, the clear favorite, Stefan Kraft from Austria, secured victory with a substantial margin over two unexpected contenders. Valentin Foubert of France and Italy's Alex Insam finished in second and third places, respectively.

Kraft dominated both rounds, earning maximum points and establishing a lead exceeding 25 points over Foubert. He reflected on the challenging conditions, stating, "It was pretty brutal today with the conditions, incredibly changeable. But I'm very happy with my jumps; it was perfect today, it's a great start to the summer for me." This victory comes on the heels of his overall success in the World Cup for the 2023/2024 season, just four months ago.

Local favorite Valentin Foubert captured the audience's attention by securing the second spot, marking a remarkable achievement after he first broke into the top 30 with a 23rd place finish in Willingen (Germany) earlier this year. This time, he stepped onto the podium with a sensational performance.

Following Foubert, Alex Insam also delivered a commendable performance, finishing third. Strong Austrian competitors Manuel Fettner and Jan Hoerl took fourth and sixth place, respectively, while Switzerland's Killian Peier finished fifth.

Meanwhile, Team Japan notably excelled despite the absence of star jumper Ryoyu Kobayashi; they placed three athletes in the top 10, including Keiichi Sato (7th), Naoki Nakamura (8th), and Junshiro Kobayashi (10th).

Conversely, expectations for the German team were not met: Markus Eisenbichler was the only athlete to make it to the final, finishing in 29th place.