Ski Jumping: Freitag Beaten Again Only by Prevc

Ski Jumping: Freitag Beaten Again Only by Prevc

Twice finishing second in Ljubno, the 23-year-old from Aue demonstrated that she is in outstanding shape ahead of the upcoming World Championships.

Ski jumper Selina Freitag showed her current strength with two consecutive second-place finishes at the small World Cup venue in Slovenia, being bested in both rounds by Slovenia’s top jumper, Nika Prevc. World champion Katharina Schmid also improved her performance by moving up the rankings to finish fifth on Sunday.

In the second jump, Freitag achieved the day’s best distance of 95.5 meters in the final round, although she encountered difficulties with her landing. Prevc, using a lower take-off, managed 92.5 meters and celebrated her ninth win of the season with 266.4 points, compared to Freitag’s 256.2. This marked the sixth time in Freitag’s career that she has finished in second place, though her first World Cup victory remains elusive. “The jump felt right, which is good to know. I know how to execute my jumps,” Freitag told ZDF. Austrian Lisa Eder finished third with a score of 248.9.

Four-time season winner Katharina Schmid, who had not been on the podium since early January, improved significantly at the venue of her first World Cup triumph and now looks forward to the World Championships with renewed optimism. “It isn’t progressing as quickly as I’d like, but I’m pleased with my second jump today,” she said.

Luisa Görlich celebrated a strong World Cup comeback. The 2023 team world champion, who suffered an ACL tear in Planica in March 2024, finished 13th and 12th, respectively. Rising star Agnes Reisch, who recently reached the podium as second in Lake Placid, was not scheduled to start, as national coach Heinz Kuttin granted her a rest. Ahead of the season’s climax in Norway, set for February 26 to March 9, a final preparatory event is scheduled for the coming weekend in Hinzenbach, Austria.

The weekend in Ljubno was marred by a dramatic fall by Norwegian jumper Thea Minyan Björseth on Saturday. Leading after the first round, Björseth fell during her landing and hit her head hard. Despite managing to finish third, the 21-year-old sustained serious injuries to her elbow and knee, and according to the Norwegian Federation, her season is now over. In solidarity, all Norwegian female jumpers chose not to start on Sunday.