Nika Kriznar wins Grand Prix in Frenstat (CZE)
Aug 15, 2020·Ski Jumping
Frenstat (CZE) welcomed the very first event of ski jumping this year post Covid after an expected end of the World Cup season in Norway last March. High precautions were taken from organisers to allow this international gathering where Slovenian Nika Kriznar won ahead of Austrian Marita Kramer and team mate Ema Klinec.
It was the fourth time that Frenstat was organising the FIS Women's Grand Prix but 2020 was a very unusual event without any public, and with strict sanitary regulations from the local authorities. Eventualy, eight nations participated with 27 women. Due to the situation, a few of the top teams such as Norway and Japan decided not to compete.
Scoring the GP hill record last year with 104 m and already in good shape during training yesterday, Nika Kriznar (SLO) won again on the 106 m hill with two jumps of 97.5 and 97 m, scoring 221.9 points, more than 30 ahead of the second. "The preparation for the season was at home at the beginning but we started to train together again and I am really happy. I did good jumps, but did not expect reaching the first place as per last year.
Austrian Marita Kramer, considered among the favourites, came second with her longest jump of 95 m achieving a total of 191.2 points. "The training this year was different as I was away for 5 weeks, I could not jump as much as usual but the technique is here and I am happy about my second place" said Kramer.
The third place came to Kriznar’s team mate, Ema Klinec who declared: "My jumping was not as good as it should be but I am pleased to be on the podium and I would really like to thank the organization. We are here, even if the conditions are not optimal around the world."
French athletes performed well also with Julia Clair who improved her place from the first round from 10th to second in the final one, with the longest jump of the day with 98.5 m, finishing fourth, just ahead of Josephine Pagnier, Youth Olympic Games silver medalist last January.
Kinga Rajda from Poland finished sixth whereas the three following positions were secured by Slovenian team with Spela Rogelj, Jerneja Brecl and Katra Komar.
Another nation was part of the top 10 with local Karolina Indrackova.
Stepanka Ptackova, also YOG medalist (bronze) earlier this year finished 11th.
This competition in Frenstat is the first and only FIS Grand Prix competition of this summer 2020. A very important and positive experience for the organizer dealing with the pandemic issue for the first time.
The women's winter season starts on 5th December in Lillehammer (NOR) hopefully with all teams able to travel to the respective venues without any major problems.
