Women’s ski jumping: Slovenia’s Nika Prevc wins Two-Nights Tour

The Slovenian ski jumper Nika Prevc also won the second edition of the Two-Nights Tour, a type of women’s two-hills tournament, on New Year’s Day. One day after her victory in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the 19-year-old also won the Oberstdorf competition. In front of 3,200 spectators she showed jumps of 122 and 134.5 meters. The two Norwegians Anna Odine Ström and Eirin Maria Kvandal completed the day’s podium.

Germany’s World Cup leader Katharina Schmid failed to make it onto the podium again. After jumps of 130.5 and 123.5 meters, the Allgäu native took fourth place. Selina Freitag took fifth place and seemed disappointed; she was still leading after the first round. Until the Two Nights Tour, Katharina Schmid (formerly Katharina Althaus) had been on the podium in every World Cup competition. On the two-day tour they managed to finish third overall behind Prevc and Kvandal.

With a total of 6,200 spectators at both stations, the upward trend the organizers had hoped for did not materialize. The event, which is soon to become a women’s Four Hills Tournament, will be broadcast live by ARD and Eurosport, but the number of spectators in the huge stadiums is far behind that of the men. This was particularly dramatic on New Year’s Eve. 10,000 fans watched the qualification of Pius Paschke’s jumpers in Garmisch in the afternoon. At Katharina Schmid and Co. there were only 3,000 visitors an hour later. “There were still a few spectators who stayed there. We take what we can get,” said Freitag.