Timi Zajc bunny hop's over competition
02. 03. 2023
Slovenian Timi Zajc won the qualification round for the individual ski jumping on the large hill at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship. He was followed by two Polish ski jumpers, David Kubacki and Kamil Stoch. Defending champion Stefan Kraft came in fifth. Norwegian cross-country skiers once again became World Champions in the 4x5 km relay.
The qualification on the large hill in Planica ended with joy in the Slovenian camp. Timi Zajc was the best with a distance of 136 meters and a point score of 142.5 . He qualified for the final round as one of the favorites for the gold medal in Friday's last individual ski jumping competition in Planica. "I won't rush and predict the result, because the competition is tomorrow. Then you have to show the best jumps you are capable of at that moment. The preparation for the competition will remain the same as today, and I hope the form stays at a high level," said the 22-year-old, who threw down the gauntlet to his competitors and was 5.4 and 5.6 points better than the two Polish ski jumpers, David Kubacki and Kamil Stoch.
Strefan Kraft © Bobo/Žiga Živulović ml
The defending champion on the large hill from Oberstdorf 2021, Stefan Kraft, was fifth and will wear start number 47 in the first round. Anže Lanišek will enter the fight for the medal one place behind him, having finished 13th in the qualifiers. Lastly, Norwegian Halvor Egner Granerud will be up in the competition.
In Friday's competition, which will start at 5:30 pm, three world champions on the large hill, Kraft, Stoch, and Simon Amman.
Norwegian women beat Germans and Swedes
At the Nordic Ski World Championships in Planica, the Norwegian women's team consisting of Tiril Udnes Weng, Strid Oeyre Slind, Ingvild Flugstad Östberg, and Anne Kjersti Kalvaa won the gold medal in the 4 x 5 km relay. "We are very happy and this victory means a lot. It's nice to have such a great day," said Astrid Oeyre Slind, reflecting on Norway's latest gold medal.
© Bobo/Luka Kotnik
With an excellent performance, especially in the third leg when Östberg tipped the balance in favor of the Norwegians, they gained a decisive advantage over the second-placed Germans to defend their title from Oberstdorf. The Norwegian quartet has now won a total of 20 medals in this discipline. Germany, who finished second at the Olympic Games in Beijing, had been waiting for a new relay medal at the World Championships since 2011 when their men's team won it. Katharina Hennig was very pleased with the result: "We are very happy and grateful. Germany has not won a medal in a relay race for a long time, so it's nice to be back on the podium after the Olympics. Today's race was very difficult due to the conditions. Laura's goal was to be in the leading group, and for me to maintain positions. Then the two girls who ran in freestyle did an excellent job."
For Norwegian cross-country skiers, this is their sixth relay gold in the last seven World Championships. Only in 2019 in Seefeld were they beaten by the Swedes, who finished third this time in Planica.
Among the 13 competing teams were also Slovenians with Eva Urevc, Anja Mandeljc, Neža Žerjav and Anita Klemenčič. Urevc handed over as the fifth, and Slovenia finished in 11th place, ahead of Kazakhstan and Latvia. "I am very happy that we finally had the opportunity to compete in a team race, to feel the team spirit. We knew we wouldn't be at the top, but we made it to the finish and achieved our goal with 11th place. Such events are very fun," said Anja Mandeljc after the race.
