JWSC: Team-Gold for Germany and Slovenia

Slovenia and Germany took the gold medals in the men's and ladies' team competitions at the Junior World Championships in Kandersteg (SUI) on Saturday.

In the men's event, the Germans Philipp Raimund, Justin Lisso, Cedrik Weigel and Constantin Schmid already had a close lead ahead of Norway and Austria after the first round and they successfully defended this position in the final. A year after Germany won silver in Park City, with Constantin Schmid already on the team, they took the gold this time with 1068.5 points.

The Austrians Mika Schwann, Jan Hoerl, Maximilian Lienher and Clemens Leitner, third behind Germany and Norway after the first half of the competition, came in second overall with their total of 1063.7 points.

The third place went to the team of Norway, with Fredrik Villumstad, Jesper Oedegaard, Thomas Aasen Markeng and Marius Lindvik, with 1037.0 points. Norway owes this bronze medal to the performance of Marius Lindvik. The Junior World Champion showed the longest jump of the day of 104.5 m as the fourth athlete of his team in the final round and because the final competitor of the Slovenes, Aljaz Osterc, landed at 95 m and could not keep up with Lindvik, the Scandinavians took the third place on the podium, ahead of the defending champions from Slovenia.

Poland finished fifth, Finland, Japan and, Russia also qualified for the second round and came in on the places six to eight.

In the ladies' competition, the athletes of Slovenia were clearly the best. Jerneja Brecl, Nika Kriznar and, Ema Klinec were the best jumpers in their groups in both rounds and together with Katra Komar they scored 733.1 points and took a more than clear victory today. Nika Kriznar, who won individual gold in Kandersteg, showed the longest jump of the competition with 103 m.

At the Junior Worlds in Park City last season, the Slovenes, who proved to be unbeatable today with exactly the same team, finished second behind Germany.

The young Russians Ksenia Kablukova, Alexandra Kustova, Lidiia Iakovleva and Sofia Tikhonova came in second with 622.7 points.

The team of France, with Oceane Paillard, Josephine Pagnier, Romane Dieu and Lucile Morat, scored 571.2 points and won bronze.

Germany, Norway and, Japan finished fourth, fifth and sixth.