Prevc sets hill record en route to Engelberg World Cup win
Dec 21, 2024·Ski Jumping
Reigning crystal globe winner Nika Prevc (SLO) secured her second victory of the season - and set a new hill record - during a dramatic first day of Engelberg World Cup action in Switzerland.
Prevc delivered a sublime jump in the opening round, of 140m, to set the new women’s record on the Gross-Titlis-Schanze hill, joining her brother Domen Prevc, who holds the men’s mark of 144m.
Despite a typically strong showing from World Cup leader Katharina Schmid (GER), who had won three of the four events ahead of Saturday’s contest, Prevc’s 134.5m jump in round two ensured she would top the podium.
It meant the Slovenian was able to match her result from the second World Cup contest in the same venue last season, during a weekend where women competed for the first time from Swiss HS140 hill.
“I feel really good here in Engelberg, I also enjoy the atmosphere so much,” Prevc told FIS after the competition.
“I’m really happy (with the hill record) that it’s another great achievement and it’s a first hill record for me. I hope to repeat the competition round jumps (tomorrow).”
Schmid’s overall points total of 272.5 was 10.9 short of Prevc’s, but enough to place second.
Former World junior champion Thea Minyan Bjoerseth (NOR) appeared to have been initially disqualified moments before her second jump, after officials noticed an issue with her suit.
However, Bjoerseth was soon reinstated and then embraced by her team-mates at the bottom of the hill once it was confirmed she was third and claimed the first World Cup podium of her career.
Schmid (GER) retains her lead at the top of the World Cup standings with 460 points, with Prevc (SLO) second on 329. Lisa Eder (AUT) edges above Selina Freitag (GER) into third in the rankings with 230 points after the Austrian finished fourth in Engelberg.
How it played out: Engelberg World Cup 1:
There were chilly, but relatively calm conditions for the 40-strong line-up - who progressed from the earlier qualifying session - heading into the first round.
Daniela Haralambie (ROU) opened the competition with a jump of 109.5m, which was further than she travelled in qualifying (99.5m), but her score of 87.8 points in the first round, was marginally lower and as a result she would not progress into the second.
Another to miss out was Josephine Pagnier (FRA), who won the first ever women’s event to take place in the Engelberg venue last year, but has not attained a podium finish since.
One athlete, who perhaps surprisingly did ease into the second phase was World Cup debutant Meghann Wadsak (AUT).
The 17-year-old was rewarded with a place in the Austrian team for the event in Switzerland following a series of podium finishes in the Intercontinental Cup and placed an encouraging 25th after the opening round.
Further up the field, but ranking much lower than she would have hoped was Selina Freitag (GER) who entered the fifth World Cup event of the season third in the overall standings, but found herself in 11th after the opening round.
As expected, the top-two positions at the end of the opening round were held by the two highest ranked athletes so far this season.
Nika Prevc (SLO), the 2023/24 crystal globe winner, delivered a stunning jump, with a leap of 140m, which was a new hill record.
Schmid (GER), who had won three of the four contests so far during the 2024/25 campaign, showed she would again be in contention for a win in the second round after scoring 151.3 points, to rank just 0.8pts behind her Slovenian rival.
Juliane Seyfarth (GER) made the greatest positional progress between the rounds, rising four places to rank 17th overall, while team-mate Selina Freitag (GER) would pick up important additional World Cup points by moving from 11th to eighth.
Alexandria Loutitt (CAN), who became her nation’s first-ever female World champion in the sport in 2023 and placed third in the overall standings last season, recorded her best result of this campaign, with fifth.
After ranking third following the first round Bjoerseth would have been expected to line-up behind the top two – Prevc and Schmid – in the final round, however, moments before she was due to jump there was a notification that she had been disqualified.
An issue with the length of her suit’s crotch was the initial explanation as Schmid took to the course in her place, with the German celebrating a strong 123.5m jump which ensured she would place on the podium.
Moments later Bjoerseth was cleared to return to the field of play though and her jump of 128m, scoring 121.5 points, put her in second.
Prevc was a class apart though throughout the competition and despite what had generally been a challenging second round, where distances travelled were generally lower than in the first, her effort measuring 134.5m was more than enough for victory.
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
Engelberg (SUI) Schedule
21.12.2024
14:30 – Start Trial Round - WC Men's LH
16:00 – Competition start - WC Men LH
22.12.2024
10:00 – Start Qualification - QUA Women's LH
11:30 – Competition start - WC Women's LH
14:30 – Start Trial Round - QUA Men's LH
16:00 – Competition start - WC Men LH
All times listed are CET (Central European Time) and are subject to change.
