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Skiing - 06. September 2007.

Visa Jump Meet Ends with Doubleheader

PARK CITY, Utah (Sept. 2) - The summer phase of the women's ski jumping Continental Cup schedule came to a wild finish under the lights Sunday night at Utah Olympic Park following a rare two-meets-in-a-day lineup. "I saw a lot I liked," said first-year U.S. Head Coach Kjell Ivar Magnusson.
 
U.S. Ski Team jumper Alissa Johnson soars during the Visa International Ski Jumping Festival in Park City. (U.S. Ski Team photo)
 
The doubleheader schedule was required because erratic winds Saturday night pushed that competition into Sunday morning. Then, just before the final event was to begin at 5:30 p.m., a thunder, lightning and rain storm hit the Park City area, forcing nearly a one-hour delay before organizers were able to stage the final meet where jumpers land on plastic matting covering the hill; when sprayed with water, it simulates snowy conditions enabling better preseason training.

Austrian Daniela Iraschko, the Continental Cup points leader - who, coincidentally, won the first two official Continental Cup meets at UOP in July 2004, won both events Sunday. Anette Sagen of Norway, the defending Cup champion, was second in each meet, including finishing a half-point back under the lights as the Visa Women's International Ski Jumping Festival, presented by Industrial Supply and backcountry.com, concluded.

Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT) and Alissa Johnson (also Park City) had the top performances in the morning; Jerome tied for sixth place while Johnson, back in action after suffering an ankle sprain in Germany last month, was eighth. At night, Lindsey Van (also Park City) was the best American, finishing ninth.

"The girls were so close - I saw a lot I liked, especially in the second competition. And now we have three months to prepare even better," said Magnusson. "I know them better and we have time to make a stronger individual plan for each of them. That starts [at a Team meeting Monday]."

"It was so frustrating," Jerome said after the first event as winds created numerous holds in the action. "Yeah, it's an outside sport, and we know these things can happen, but...arrrrghhhh!"

Van, No. 3 in the standings last season and second the two previous years, felt good about her final jump, which moved her up three spots into the top 10 at night, but said, "I'm really looking forward to these next three months, dialing-in my technique and jumping. Kjell's such an awesome coach."

The Continental Cup schedule, the highest level of women's jumping, resumes Dec. 11-12 in Notodden, Norway.

Another overflow crowd - attracted by the mid-afternoon sunshine and the variety of events (and free admission) - turned out for the second day in a row. Several hundred watched the morning jump meet, but a couple of thousand spectators sprawled on the out-run grass, at picnic tables and throughout the UOP jumping complex. "It was awesome to see this support," Johnson said. Jerome added, "This was great. There was so much energy in the crowd...[Saturday], even though we couldn't jump because of the winds and again today."


CONTINENTAL CUP WOMEN'S SKI JUMPING
Visa Women's International Ski Jumping Festival
Utah Olympic Park
Park City, Utah - Sept. 2, 2007
HS100 (jump distances in meters)
Morning meet (postponed from Saturday)
1. Daniela Iraschko, Austria, (96.5-85 meters) 226.5 points
2. Anette Sagen, Norway, (103-87) 216.0
3. Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, Norway, (91.5-82.5) 215.0
4. Nata de Leeuw, Canada, (90.5-83.5) 210.5
5. Salome Fuchs, Switzerland, (91.5-80.5) 203.5
-
6T. Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT, (85-82.5)
8. Alissa Johnson, Park City, UT, (89-78.5) 190.5
12. Avery Ardovino, Park City, UT, (86-74) 176.5
13. Lindsey Van, Park City, UT, (85.5-70) 169.0
15. Brenna Ellis, Park City, UT, (82.5-67) 151.5
25. Karin Friberg, Roseville, MN, (64-58) 90.0
26. Elisabeth Anderson, Eau Claire, WI, (61.5-54) 73.0
--
Evening meet
1. Daniela Iraschko, Austria, (79-99.5) 221.5
2. Anette Sagen, Norway, (80.5-99) 221.0
3. Nata de Leeuw, Canada, (82.5-93) 215.0
4. Salome Fuchs, Switzerland, (82-92) 208.0
5. Jacqueline Seifriedsberger, Austria, (79-93.5) 205.0
-
9. Lindsey Van, Park City, UT, (73.5-88.5) 188.5
12. Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT, (72.5-88.5) 180.5
13. Alissa Johnson, Park City, UT, (75-85.5) 177.0
15. Avery Ardovino, Park City, UT, (74.5-81.5) 168.5
20. Brenna Ellis, Park City, UT, (69.5-76.5) 147.0
25. (tie) Elisabeth Anderson, Eau Claire, WI, (61.5-67) and
Karin Friberg, Roseville, MN, (61.5-69.5) 101.5 each

Picture credited to us Ski Team
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