Ski jumping-Slovenia in the triple attack on the women’s podium
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ZHANGJIAKOU, China, February 5 (Reuters) – Three Slovenian women competed for their first medals in ski jumping at the Beijing Olympics on Saturday as normal mountain hiking competition began in the dark at the Zhangjiakou mountain resort.
Ursa Bogataj, Ema Klinec and Nika Križnar were second, third and fourth best qualified for the finals based on the current world rankings, for the favorite Katharina Althaus from Germany and before the multiple World Cup winner Saro Takanashi from Japan.
Križnar set a benchmark in training earlier on Saturday with a monstrous 107.5-meter jump, and Bogata was the only jumper to exceed 100.
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No Slovenian has won Olympic gold in ski jumping, and Peter Prevc won silver and bronze in Sochi in 2014, when the women’s discipline was added to the program.
A few hundred local fans, who had two Chinese jumpers among the first beginners to cheer, enjoyed the windy but relatively calm weather at -14 degrees Celsius after the jumpers had to cope with the cold wind and -23 degrees in the beginning weeks.
Althaus, who won silver four years ago, has greatly improved after Norwegian Pyeongchang champion Maren Lundby decided not to defend her title, while leading Austrian World Cup leader Marita Kramer was ruled out on the eve of a positive test at COVID games. read more
Althaus will be the last of the 40 finalists to jump in the first of two attempts, with the two totals – a combination of distance and style points – added together for the combined result.
Takanashi won bronze four years ago and is desperate for the final award to complete her dazzling biography, which includes a world title and more than 60 World Cup victories.
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Mitch Phillips reporting; Editing: Ken Ferris
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