Countdown: Ladies' Summer Grand Prix premiere

Just seven more days and then the Nordic Combined ladies are taking yet another step forward: the inaugural Ladies’ Summer Grand Prix takes place in Oberwiesenthal (GER). In two Individual Gundersen events, last winter’s Continental Cup winner Stefaniya Naymova (RUS) has to prove that she is still the woman to beat in Nordic Combined.

Winning three out of four events in the past winter, Nadymova will face competition from local hero Jenny Nowak (even though her participation is might be hampered by knee troubles) as well as Nowak’s teammate Sophia Maurus. But also Austrians Lisa Hirner and Eva Hubinger are entered, along with Czech Republic’s Simona Weinlichova, Estonians Annemarii Bendi and Triinu Hausenberg, Kazakhstan’s Dayana Akmetvaliyeva and Nadymova’s Russian compatriots Svetlana Gladikova, Alexandra Glazunova and Anastasia Goncharova are vying for the two victories.

As for the men, the ladies Grand Prix is a welcome opportunity to test the current training shapes against the international competition and get a first clue as to where the athletes stand, going into a winter full of eleven Ladies Continental Cup events, as well as the first Junior World Championship medals, which are on the line in Lahti (FIN) in late January.

The programme

OBERWIESENTHAL

Friday 17.08.

16:45 Official training HS 106

17:30 Provisional Competition Round HS 106

Saturday 18.08.

13:30 Trial Round HS 106

14:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 106

18:15 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 4.5 km cross-country race

Sunday 19.08.

09:00 Trial Round HS 106

09:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 106

13:15 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 4.5 km cross-country race

Quick Facts:

HILL

Fichtelbergschanze, Oberwiesenthal

HS 106

TRACK

Oberwiesenthal

3x 1.5 km roller-ski city loop (men’s Team Sprint loop)