SKI JUMPING: Althaus sweeps first World Cups in Premanon

Germany's Katharina Althaus (Photo: Martin Putz via Wikimedia)

Is this the year for Germany’s Katharina Althaus?

Second in the World Cup seasonal standings to Norway’s Maren Lundby, Althaus is quickly stamping this season as her own. Just 22, she has won three World Cup events in a row, sweeping both of the competitions off a 90 m hill in Premanon (FRA) – a new World Cup venue – over the weekend.

Neither of the final scores were close, as Althaus won by 9.7 points over Japanese star Sara Takanashi on Saturday and then 14.1 points over Lundby on Sunday (with Takanashi third).

Althaus showed lots of promise last season, which was dominated by Lundby. But Althaus won 10 medals and had three wins. She’s equaled that total already this season, and has a 400-278 lead over Lundby after six of the 25 scheduled events.

The women’s jumpers get a holiday break now and won’t be back in competition until 12 January in Sapporo (JPN). Summaries:

FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
Premanon (FRA) ~ 15-16 December 2018
(Full results here)

Women’s 90 m hill I: 1. Katharina Althaus (GER), 260.3; 2. Sara Takanashi (JPN), JPN), 250.7; 3. Ema Klinec (SLO), 247.5; 4. Lidiia Iakovleva (EUS), 241.2; 5. Nika Kriznar (SLO), 239.9.

Women’s 90 m hill II: 1. Althaus (GER), 249.6; 2. Maren Lundby (NOR), 235.5; 3. Takanashi (JPN), 233.3; 4. Klinec (SLO), 233.2; 5. Daniela Iraschko-Stolz (AUT), 233.1.