Prevc seeks to match Takanashi’s World Cup record
Mar 19, 2025·Ski Jumping
Nika Prevc’s all-conquering campaign has already seen her claim two World titles, the Two Nights Tour crown and the 2024/25 Crystal Globe, but the Slovenian could still make further history at the season-ending FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Lahti (FIN).
Following her victory in Vikersund (NOR) last weekend the 20-year-old has now recorded eight successive World Cup wins, a total surpassed by only one female athlete in history – Sara Takanashi (JPN).
The legendary Japanese ski jumper attained 10 wins between December 2015 and July 2016, which Prevc could match in the women’s season-ending double header in Finland.
The four day event, known as the ‘Lahti Ski Games’, runs from 20-23 March and will see women contest two individual World Cup events, while men will compete in a sole individual, as well as a Super Team discipline.
The Lahti Ski Games was organised for the first time in 1923, a year before the first Olympic Winter Games and will also involve Cross Country Skiing, plus the Nordic Combined discipline.
Prevc, who also won the Normal Hill and Large Hill World Championship titles at Trondheim 2025 earlier this month, also set a new women’s World record of 236m last weekend in practice ahead of the Vikersund World Cup.
Unless there is a complete reversal of form within the German setup Selina Freitag looks set to secure second in the overall standings behind Prevc, having recently climbed above team-mate Katharina Schmid, who is now without a podium finish in 13 races.
After finishing fourth in her homeland, in Vikersund, World Championship medalist Eirin Maria Kvandal (NOR) insisted she was “ready” for the season finale in Finland where she will be looking to round off an impressive season with further podium success.
The 23-year-old skipped a number of World Cup contests during the 2024/25 campaign in order to prepare for Trondheim 2025, but has still attained nine top-three results and will look to match, or potentially surpass, her record of 10, set during 2023/24.
While Prevc is seeking to make history, the Finnish women are set to make it in front of their home crowd, with seven female ski jumpers named in their line-up for the first time in an FIS World Cup.
Heta Hivonen, Julia Kykkänen, Sofia Mattila, Jenny Rautionaho, Oosa Thure, Emilia Vidgren and Julia Äikiä will all line-up for the first round of qualification on Thursday.
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Lahti (FIN) - Program:
20 March
14:30 – Training Women
16:10 – Start Qualification Women's LH
17:10 – Start Competition Women's LH
21 March
14:00 – Trial Round Women
14:50 – Start Competition Women's LH
22 March
13:15 – Training Men
15:00 – Start Qualification Men's LH
16:35 – Start Competition Men's LH
23 March
15.30 – Trial Round Men
16:30 – Super Team Men LH
*all times are displayed in Central European Time (CET) and are subject to change.
Lahti World Cup Facts & Figures:
The Salpausselkä ski jumping venue first hosted a Lahti Ski Games in 1923, a year before the first Olympic Winter Games took place in Chamonix (FRA).
It hosted an FIS Ski Jumping World Cup contest for the first time in 1980, while it has also held World Championship events seven times between 1926 and the most recent edition, in 2017.
Lahti held its first FIS Women’s Ski Jumping World Cup contest in the 2015/16 season, with Sara Takanashi (JPN) claiming the maiden crown.
Ito Yuki (JPN) won the Women’s World Cup, ahead of Anna Odine Stroem (NOR) and Katharina Schmid (GER) in the 2022/23 campaign.
Last season Nika Kriznar (SLO) won the Women’s World Cup, ahead of Austrian duo Jacqueline Seifreidsberger and Eva Pinkelnig.
