Marita Kramer takes the lead in the second edition of Blue Bird
Mar 20, 2021·Ski Jumping
Austria's Marita Kramer won the first competition of the Women Blue Bird Tour in Russia on Saturday. The 19-year-old posted two good jumps (96.5 and 96 m, scoring 232.10 points) on the HS 97 in Nizhny Tagil. Japanese Sara Takanashi and Slovenia's Nika Kriznar came in second and third.
The Blue Bird Tour was held for the first time 2 years ago, didn’t take place last year due to the pandemic but is now back. Taking place from March 20th to 28th, this Russian Tour consists of four individual competitions (two on the HS 97 normal hill in Nizhny Tagil, one on the HS 102 normal hill in Chaikovsky and the final on the HS 140 large hill in Chaikovsky). This year, there is also one additional team event on the normal hill in Chaikovsky. This Russian Tour is also the Women World Cup final with the crystal globe being given in Chaikovsky.
Away from the individual podiums since February, Marita Kramer was really happy about her performance today, this victory helping her to gain self-confidence as she explained. Knowing that the overall World Cup victory is not possible any more, she was nevertheless happy to wear another yellow bib, being the leader of the Russian Tour, and determined to keep it.
Finishing second, Sara Takanashi from Japan is now leading the Overall World Cup Standing and took the yello bib from Nika Kriznar. For sure, with 3 yellow bibs today on the podium, this Russian Tour will see a close fight not only for the overall World Cup victory but also for the Blue Bird ranking.
Even with Maren Lundby not competing any more this season, there were multiple Norwegian in Top 10 today with Silje Opseth finishing fourth, Thea Minyan Bjoerseth seventh. The women of Japan also showed a strong team performance with Nozomi Maruyama (sixth) and Yuki Ito (eight).
Kramer’s best teammate was fifth with Chiara Hoelzl and best German was Katharina Althaus in ninth. Local hero Irina Avvakumova finished tenth.
After this first competition in Russia, the others are already announced thrilling. The World Cup continues tomorrow on Sunday at 17.00 LOC, 13.00 CET.
)
