Dress rehearsal in Sapporo

The last World Cup weekend before the World Championships in Lahti, Finland  is here and everybody, who still looking to qualify, find or confirm their shape, has the chance in Sapporo, Japan to hunt for rankings and World Cup points. Two Individual Gundersen competitions are scheduled in the 2-million metropolis, on the HS 137 Okurayama jumping hill and the Shirahatayama cross-country course, which last hosted the Nordic Combined World Cup in 2015.

44 athletes from 10 nations are on start and while top stars Eric Frenzel, Johannes Rydzek and Fabian Rießle are taking a break this weekend, partially also due to sickness, other big names fill up the start list. Last year’s podium athletes Jan Schmid and Håvard Klemetsen are fighting for the last available start place on the Norwegian Lahti 2017 team. German veteran Björn Kircheisen rejoins the team after sitting out PyeongChang last weekend and also Norway’s Mikko Kokslien comes to Sapporo after having to take a forced break due to sickness last week.

Japanese superstar Akito Watabe will look to forget a frustrating weekend in Korea by delighting the home crowd and is definitely one of the hot favourites for the victories. Which, by the way, would then be the first non-German individual victory of the winter. But maybe young German Manuel Faißt, who claimed a sixth and a fifth place in PyeongChang will have something to say about that.

Next to these experiences athletes, a lot of fresh blood is joining the World Cup circus: Reigning Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Tim Kopp from Germany will make his World Cup debut. Teammate Martin Hahn, Czech athletes Ondrej Pazout and Lukas Danek came directly from medalling at the Junior World Championships in Utah. Japan’s Go Sonehara and Go Yamamoto and well as Viacheslav Barkov arrived straight after taking medals at the Universiade 2017 in Almaty. How these athletes will mix in with their experienced counterparts remains to be seen but one thing is certain: the results of the two upcoming World Cup events are open as seldom before in this season.

Program (local times! CET + 8 hours)
Thursday, 09.02

09:00 Official training HS 137
11:00 Provisional Competition Round/Qualification
12:00 - 16:00 Official training cross-country

Friday, 10.02.

09:00 Trial Round HS 137
10:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 137
13:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN cross-country race

Saturday, 11.02.

09:00 Trial Round HS 134
10:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 137
13:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN cross-country race

Timetable subject to change!

Quick Facts:
HILL

Okurayama Jumping Hill
HS 137

TRACK

Shirahatayama cross-country course
2,5 km free-technique loop
Total climb: 332 metres
Maximum climb: 39 metres
Height Difference: 48 metres

**
2014/15 WORLD CUP PODIUM**
IG I: 1. Eric Frenzel (GER), 2. Jan Schmid (NOR), 3. Haavard Klemetsen (NOR)
IG 2: 1. Eric Frenzel (GER), 2. Akito Watabe (JPN), 3. Taylor Fletcher (USA)