Inclement weather forces Women’s Engelberg World Cup cancellation

Dec 22, 2024·Ski Jumping

©Authamayou/NordicFocus

The second women’s World Cup in Engelberg, Switzerland, was abandoned after poor weather conditions further deteriorated during the first round of competition on Sunday.

With weather forecasters having predicted significant challenges ahead of the second day, a decision to cancel the women’s qualifying round had already been made late on Saturday.

Nika Prevc (SLO), Katharina Schmid (GER) and Thea Minyan Bjoerseth (NOR) were hoping to build on their respective, first, second and third positions, achieved in the first World Cup.

However, when Sunday morning arrived conditions were even worse than anticipated and when the first of the athletes among the 55-strong female line-up finally took to the hill, they knew it might be their only action of the day.

As such, the podium-seeking ski jumpers were looking for much more than just a place in the top-30, as the fluctuating winds and sporadic snow showers, meant a second round may not materialise.

Given the tricky environment a good portion of the field struggled to match the distances achieved in the opening World Cup of the weekend, on Saturday, with almost half failing to hit the 100m mark.

Agnes Reisch (GER), who won Youth Olympic silver as part of Germany’s NH Team line-up back in 2016, was the first land what was likely to be a significant leap, with 119m, which scored 118.7 points.

European Games champion Jacqueline Seifriedsberger (AUT) arguably benefited from a gate move combined with a brief improvement in the conditions for jumping to edge ahead of Reisch, with a score of 119.6m, following a 128.5m effort.

Six-time World championship medallist Anna Odine Stroem (NOR) missed much of last season with a knee injury, but is gradually rediscovering her form.

The 26-year-old, who was fourth in the overall standings in the 2022/23 season, produced a massive 132m jump to soar into the lead.

Thea Minyan Bjoerseth (NOR) claimed the first World Cup podium finish of her career on Saturday, with third, but her expression after landing told the story that she was unlikely to repeat that feat, with 121m, seeing her place seventh, with seven athletes still to go.

The temperature soon dropped and heavy snow began to sweep into the venue, with wind-speed recorded at over 10m per-second across areas of the Gross-Titlis-Schanze hill at one stage.

A further delay followed, as did the news confirming that there would be no second round, meaning it would be a one-shot chance for the remaining athletes to reach the podium positions.

However, 30 minutes after the jury made the official decision to cancel the remainder of the round, for the safety and fairness of all those involved.

“The weather forecast was 100% accurate and the referees and all of the staff have been here since the early morning to do all they could. There was rain, a lot of wind and then snowfall again and although things went really well with the front and updraft (wind) now (later in the session), it would not be possible, so the decision (to cancel) was absolutely correct.”– Germany head coach Heinz Kuttin