WSJ-USA News

Hendrickson, Van on podium in Hinzenbach
U.S. teen targets WC overall title; Visa Team outdistancing the field

Hinzenbach, Austria, Feb. 5 — Sarah Hendrickson is just 116 points ahead of veteran and reigning World Champion Daniela Iraschko, Austria, in the race for the overall women’s ski jumping World Cup title. And with six competitions left in the season, the teenager from Park City, Utah, doesn’t plan on letting up.

"I'm aiming for the overall World Cup title and that is still very possible if I can keep jumping at this level,” said Hendrickson on Sunday after placing second behind Iraschko twice this weekend in Hinzenbach, Austria. "Daniela had awesome jumps and she is giving me a run for my money. I have to stay strong.”

Sarah Hendrickson, Daniela Iraschko and Lindsey Van. Photo by Ladiesskijumping.comHendrickson has won four out of seven World Cup (WC) competitions this season, giving a boost to the Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team, which is sitting soundly in first place overall by 305 points over second-place Germany. Ski jumping pioneers Lindsey Van and Jessica Jerome are 3rd and 10th overall, and teammates Abby Hughes and Alissa Johnson are in the top 30.

“I’m not as satisfied with my jumping technically this weekend, so I’m going to work on that going into the next competition,” Hendrickson said. “But we’re having more fun than ever jumping, and of course the good results are helping with that.”

Hendrickson nabbed two 2nd places in Hinzenbach this weekend. Van was 3rd on Sunday, climbing back from the 7th-place that she posted on Saturday. Hughes had a break-out weekend on the WC with 12th and 16th-place finishes; and Jerome improved from Saturday to place 13th on Sunday. (See full results below.)

The wind played a factor in the Hinzenbach competitions. The second round of Saturday’s competition was canceled due to strong winds with just three jumpers remaining  — which meant first-round results counted as the official results of the day.

"The wind played a bit of a role in the competitions this weekend, but today (Sunday) was very fair. The competition was really tight to be in the top 10," said Paolo Bernardi, Visa Team international coach. "Today the top three athletes were definitely the strongest."

Van said she had better jumps on Sunday — her best of the year so far.

“I'm super excited. I'm as healthy as I've been in a long time — overall I have no complaints," said Van, who had ankle surgery in October and battled mono earlier this winter. "It's really exciting to be part of this team right now as we’re in first overall. We have high energy and everyone is so excited and supportive. We're definitely enjoying this.”

The World Cup continues Feb. 11 and 12 in Ljubno, Slovenia, and March 3-4 in Zao, Japan, where there will be three comps (one comp was added to make up for an earlier cancellation in Poland). The World Cup final is set for March 9 in Oslo, Norway.

Also, Junior World Championships will take place Feb. 23 in Erzurum, Turkey. Sarah Hendrickson, Nina Lussi and Nita Englund will represent the U.S.

World Cup
Hinzenbach, Austria
Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, HS94, K-point 85m
(with wind system calculation)

1. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (85.5, 91.5) 238.4
2. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (86.0, 90.5) 233.2
3. Lindsey Van, USA, (90.5, 87.0)  230.4

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13. Jessica Jerome, USA  (84.5, 84.0) 214.0
16. Abby Hughes, USA  (83.0, 83.5) 208.0
28. Alissa Johnson, USA, (79.0, 81.5) 194.1
48. Nina Lussi, USA  (69.5) 73.4

World Cup
Hinzenbach, Austria
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, HS94, K-point 85m
(with wind system calculation)
Second round cancelled due to wind

1. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (96.0) 123.3
2. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (91.5) 122.6
3. Katja Pozun, SLO, (90.5) 114.4

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7. Lindsey Van, USA, (84.5) 106.1
12. Abby Hughes, USA  (84.5) 103.7
24. Alissa Johnson, USA, (82.5) 96.0
25. Jessica Jerome, USA  (80.0) 95.3
44. Nina Lussi, USA  (71.0) 74.5

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Wind cuts short Hinzenbach World Cup competition
Hendrickson takes second; three U.S. jumpers in top 15

Hinzenbach, Austria — Sarah Hendrickson and Daniela Iraschko, Austria, battled again for the top spot in the first of two World Cup competitions in Hinzenbach this weekend. Iraschko edged out Hendrickson by just under 1 point to finish 1^st and Hendrickson 2nd. Katja Pozun, of Slovenia, took 3rd.

Sarah Hendrickson, Daniela Iraschko and Katja Pozun. Photo by Ladiesskijumping.comThe chief of the race canceled the second round due to strong winds with just three jumpers remaining (Pozun, Hendrickson and Iraschko). That left the first round as the official results of the day. Official training earlier in the morning also was cut short more than halfway through.

“It was supposed to be calm wind day, but we ended up having really strong head winds,” Hendrickson said. “I was pulled off the bar twice in the first round and one jumper was pulled off six times in the second round. It had just become unsafe and was really cold, so the jury did a good job keeping the comp fair under those conditions.

“That’s just how ski jumping is — an outdoor sport. I’m really happy with my second place,” Hendrickson said.

The Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team, led by Hendrickson, posted three in the top 15. Lindsey Van was 7^th and Abby Hughes finished a strong 12^th-place — her best result so far this World Cup season; Alissa Johnson was 24^th; Jessica Jerome was 25^th; and Nina Lussi was 44^th in her first World Cup appearance.

Abby HughesHughes said she’s very excited about her result on Saturday, attributing it in part to a broken boot. “Yesterday after the training round, my boot broke and I had to use some new boots that actually were way too small for me. All I could think about was the boots and that meant I had to let go and trust my body to know what to do. It actually helped me a lot mentally,” she said.

“I’m definitely going to remember what it feels like to be in contention for top 10. I know I can have fun with it too and compete well, and I’m really excited for tomorrow,” Hughes said.

The World Cup continues Sunday with the second Hinzenbach competition.

World Cup
Hinzenbach, Austria
Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, HS94, K-point 85m
(with wind system calculation)
Second round cancelled due to wind

1. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (96.0) 123.3
2. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (91.5) 122.6
3. Katja Pozun, SLO, (90.5) 114.4

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7. Lindsey Van, USA, (84.5) 106.1
12. Abby Hughes, USA  (84.5) 103.7
24. Alissa Johnson, USA, (82.5) 96.0
25. Jessica Jerome, USA  (80.0) 95.3
44. Nina Lussi, USA  (71.0) 74.5

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Feature film about women ski jumpers opens Feb. 10 in Salt Lake

Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 2 — Ski jumping hits the big screen Friday, Feb. 10 with the World Premiere of the new documentary feature film “Ready To Fly,” which tells the powerful true story of women ski jumpers and their allies who fight to be included in the Olympic Winter Games.

The film kicks off the Cultural Olympiad celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Salt Lake Games and will enjoy a two-week run in the six Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres in Utah. Additional special screenings are slated for Logan, Ogden, and Park City.

“Ready To Fly” follows 2009 World Champion Lindsey Van and her Women’s Ski Jumping USA teammates Jessica Jerome, Alissa Johnson, Sarah Hendrickson, Abby Hughes and others as the film tells a tale of an unlikely group of heroes that triumphs over massive obstacles to achieve a dream and change the world for other women athletes.

“I hope this film inspires anyone who comes up against the toughest of challenges to keep fighting for what they believe in and to never, never give up,” said writer/director Bill Kerig, who also wrote and directed the hit Showtime documentary “The Edge of Never,” a father/son story set in the world of big-mountain skiing.

Kerig and his team started filming Van and the ski jumpers nearly two years ago, traveling across the globe capturing the extreme highs and lows of this dramatic story. They also collected hundreds of hours of historical footage to cover the 17 years chronicled in the film.

Diana Nyad, marathon swimmer and NPR contributor, who has come up against her own seemingly insurmountable odds, narrates “Ready To Fly.” The Salt Lake Tribune calls the film “…a tribute to the human spirit.”

“We have a wonderful opportunity through this inspiring film to share our story with the world and continue to push for equality in ski jumping at the Olympic level and equality for women in sport,” said WSJ-USA President Deedee Corradini, also featured in the film. Part of the proceeds raised from the film will be donated to WSJ-USA.

Zions Bank is the Regional Presenting Sponsor of “Ready To Fly” and the Women’s Sports Foundation is a Supporting Partner. Other supporters include WomenTalkSports.com, eXperticity, PrettyTough.com, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird Ski Resort, and the Utah Film Center. Shades of Pale, a brewery in Park City, has created a new Amber Ale called “Ready To Fly” in support of the film.

The filmmakers are negotiating a national television broadcast and are planning a select-city national theatrical and film festival tour in the late summer and fall.

“Ready To Fly” DVDs are available for pre-order at ReadyToFlyFilm.com. 

UTAH SCREENINGS

Friday Feb. 10, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Event: UTAH PREMIERE
In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics,
and to kick off the Cultural Olympiad, Ready To Fly will open in Salt Lake City.
Venue: Megaplex 12 at the Gateway
Address: 165 South Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City, UT
Cost: Invite-only event

February 10-24, 2012
Event: UTAH LIMITED THEATRICAL
Ready To Fly will enjoy a two-week run in the six Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theaters in Utah. It will show five times a day at all the venues.
Venues: LHM Megaplex Theatres
Cost: Standard movie ticket pricing
Bonus: "Daddy-Daughter Days" on Tuesdays as part of the LHM Megaplex Terrific Tuesdays pricing. 

Thursday Feb. 16, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Event: UTAH FILM CENTER PRESENTS READY TO FLY – OGDEN, UTAH
Screening followed by a Q&A session with Writer/Director/Producer Bill Kerig.
Venue: Pleasant Valley Library
Address: 5568 S. Adams Ave. Ogden, UT
Cost: UFC screenings are free and open to the public. First come first served.

Monday, Feb. 20 & Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7:00 p.m. (DATES HAVE CHANGED)
Event: PARK CITY, UTAH SCREENING
Ready To Fly screening each night followed by a Q&A session with Writer/Director/Producer Bill Kerig and members of the U.S. Women’s Ski Jumping Team. Includes special giveaways.
Venue: Egyptian Theater
Address: 328 Main Street in Park City, Utah
Cost: $20 per adult & $10 for kids 12-and-under.

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, 7:00 p.m.
Event: UTAH FILM CENTER PRESENTS READY TO FLY – LOGAN, UTAH
Screening followed by a Q&A session with Writer/Director/Producer Bill Kerig.
Venue: Taggart Auditorium at Utah State University
Address: 650 North 800 East, Logan, UT
Cost: UFC screenings are free and open to the public. First come first served.

DVD SALES — NATIONAL TOUR — FILM FESTIVALS:
• Pre-Order the DVD now at readytoflyfilm.com
• Summer and Fall 2012 - national tour in selected cities — Dates to come.
• Film Festival showings – Dates to come.

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Visa Team posts top results in Zakopane Continental Cup
Jumpers pay tribute to Burke, donate portion of earnings to family

Zakopane, Poland, Jan. 21 — The Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team continued its strong performance this weekend with four members in the top 10 on Friday and five in the top 15 on Saturday at a Continental Cup (COC) event in Zakopane, Poland. 

Sarah Hendrickson, who leads the overall standings on the World Cup, took a 1st and 2^nd; Jessica Jerome a 6^th and 8^th; Abby Hughes a 7^th and 10^th; Alissa Johnson a 7^th and 9^th; and Nina Lussi a 15^th and 22^nd.

Alissa JohnsonThis weekend’s COC event replaced a World Cup event scheduled for Jan. 28-29 in Szczyrk, Poland, which was cancelled for technical organizational reasons, according to the International Ski Federation.

“Zakopane can be a really difficult hill for some and especially coming from Predazzo (last weekend) it’s like night and day,” said Johnson. “But I think because it was a COC I was able to relax a little and just focus on bringing my good result from last weekend into this weekend.”

Hughes agreed, saying that the atmosphere was a little less pressure-filled, but still an exciting event because a men’s World Cup competition was taking place during the same time and fans came to watch in droves.

Abby Hughes“About 20,000 fans showed up,” Hughes said. “Organizers held the women’s COC award ceremony — for the first day of our comp — in the outrun of the World Cup run. It gave me goose bumps to hear that many people cheering for those six girls, especially Sarah (Hendrickson).”

Lake Placid native Nina Lussi posted one of her best results to date (15th on Saturday) on the COC with a solid first-round leap of 72 meters on the K85 hill. The 17-year-old is an up-and-coming member of the Visa Development Team. She attends Skigymnasium Stams, in Stams, Tirol, Austria — a prestigious school that focuses on balancing competitive skiing and academics.

“I am really happy with my results and my jumping was much better today (Saturday),” Lussi said. “The rest of the girls are so encouraging and make me feel really comfortable even under the pressure of a competition.”

Lussi and her teammates competed in Poland just one day following the death of Sarah Burke, the half-pipe skiing pioneer from Canada who sustained fatal injuries in a fall in the pipe in Park City, Utah, more than a week earlier. As a tribute to Burke, Visa Team members are donating a portion of their earnings from the Zakopane event toward Burke’s medical expenses.

“It was very sad when we got the news about Sarah,” Johnson said. “It definitely hits close to home and makes you take a step back and think about your own life and the lives of the people around you. Donating some of our prize money is the least we could do to help support her family and to honor one of skiing’s greatest pioneers.”

To learn more about Burke and help support her family, go to http://www2.giveforward.com/sarahburke.html.

Continental Cup
Zakapone, Poland
Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012
HS94

1. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, 215.0 (91.0, 83.5)
2. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, 214.5 (79.5, 86.5)
3. Ema Klinec, SLO, 198.5 (81.0, 76.5)

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6. Jessica Jerome, USA, 188.5 (78.5, 75.0)
7. Abby Hughes, USA, 180.5 (76.5, 73.5)
9. Alissa Johnson, USA, 179.0 (79.0, 71.0)
15. Nina Lussi, USA, 144.5 (72.0, 63.5)

Continental Cup
Zakapone, Poland
Friday, Jan. 20, 2012
HS94

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, 234.5 (89.0, 89.5)
2. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, 228.0 (88.0, 85.0)
3. Ema Klinec, SLO, 218.5 (84.0, 82.5)

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7. Alissa Johnson, USA, 192.5 (78.5, 77.5)
8. Jessica Jerome, USA, 191.0 (78.5, 78.0)
10. Abby Hughes, USA, 190.5 (78.5, 76.0)

22. Nina Lussi, USA, 135.0 (66.5, 65.0)
 

Heavy snow hampers Mixed Team Ski Jumping event at YOG

Seefeld, Austria, Jan. 21 — Emilee Anderson and her teammates placed 11^th Saturday after enduring delays and heavy snowfall in the Mixed Team Ski Jumping event at the inaugural 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games.

Katharina Althaus, of GermanySaturday's competition, already postponed a day due to heavy snowfall, was a challenge for competitors and left officials debating whether to continue the event after the first round. Constant snow throughout the trial and first rounds had made the track wet and slow, but just after 3:30 p.m. the snow stopped and competitors were able to take their final jump.

Anderson, of Eau Claire, Wis., (a Visa Development Team member) and her teammates Will Rhoads and Colton Kissel, both of Park City, Utah, scored 436.2 points on the K68 hill. The German team of Katharina Althaus, Tom Lubitz and Andreas Wellinger claimed gold with a score of 640.1 points. Slovenia took silver with 610.5 and Canada claimed bronze with 587.0. The Mixed Team event consists of one female and one male ski jumper, and the male Nordic Combined athlete from each country.

(See complete results from Saturday’s mixed-team event.)

Anderson, who also represents the Eau Claire Flying Eagles club, finished 9th on Jan. 14 in the ladies individual event after a resounding second-round jump.

She made history last week as the first American woman to compete in ski jumping at an IOC-sanctioned event. In 2010, the IOC put a women’s ski jumping event on the 2012 Youth Games program — setting the scene for the April 6, 2011, announcement that women would finally be allowed to participate in ski jumping at the Olympic Winter Games, beginning in 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

The Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria, conclude Sunday, Jan. 22. It hosted 1,057 athletes between the ages of 14-18 from more than 80 countries.  

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Hendrickson wins 2 World Cups in Italy; sets hill record for women
Visa Team leads overall World Cup standings

(results from Saturday & Sunday are below)

Val di Fiemme, Predazzo, Italy, Jan. 15 — Sarah Hendrickson put up two huge jumps Sunday to win her fourth World Cup (WC) competition so far this season. She’s also leading the overall WC standings by more than 150 points over reigning World Champion and veteran Daniela Iraschko, of Austria.

Daniela Iraschko, AUT, Sarah Hendrickson, USA, and Ulrike Graessler, GER. Photo by Ladiesskijumping.comAnd, by the way, she set a new hill record of 108 meters for women on the K95 hill at Val di Fiemme, site of the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships.

“I love ski jumping. I just love it so much,” a smiling Hendrickson told reporters after her win.

The 17-year-old is in “The Zone” — that magical place of unwavering confidence and superior performance that elite athletes in every sport strive to be. On Saturday, she bested the field and came from behind in the second round — leaping 107.5 meters — to beat Iraschko, who finished second.

“Now for Sarah, it’s simply amazing because she’s on top of the world and the strongest, but at the same time, she’s relaxed and happy and focused,” said International Coach Paolo Bernardi. “That’s where she needs to stay for the next competitions.”

The U.S. team is leading overall on the World Cup, boosted by Hendrickson’s domination of the top spot, and consistent podium, top 6 and top 10 performances by veterans Lindsey Van and Jessica Jerome. Alissa Johnson hit her mark Sunday finishing 15^th and Abby Hughes, who’s been nursing a leg injury, has routinely made the top 25.

Van attributes the success so far to the fact that everyone on the team really loves to ski jump and is supportive of each other.

“We all started ski jumping initially to have fun and staying focused on that is what keeps you going,” said Van, currently third in the WC standings behind Hendrickson and Iraschko. “With all we’ve been through in the past 10 years, we really love and appreciate what we do and now we can simply enjoy it.”

U.S. women ski jumpers and their international peers pushed for years to be included in the Olympic Winter Games and met that goal when the International Olympic Committee in April 2011 approved a women’s ski jumping event for the Sochi 2014 Games.

Competition continues next weekend. The women’s World Cup scheduled for Jan. 28-29 in Szczyrk, Poland, was cancelled for technical organizational reasons and the two events will now take place on Jan. 20 and 21 in Zakopane as Continental Cup (COC) competitions. The women will jump on the normal hill on Friday and Saturday at 10:30 am CET. At both COC's, the prize money of a World Cup will be awarded to the athletes.

“We’re ready for the next competitions,” Hendrickson said. “Our results just show how strong we are and how well we compete. Every day is a new day and we enjoy this so much — we don’t let anything interfere with that.”

World Cup
Val di Fiemme, Predazzo, Italy
Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, K95
(with wind system calculation)

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (104.5, 108) 285.9
2. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (96.5, 105.5)  273.1
3. Ulrike Graessler, GER, (100.0, 98.0)  250.8

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6. Lindsey Van, USA, (94.0  97.0)  244.6
8. Jessica Jerome, USA  (94.5  94.5)  242.3
15. Alissa Johnson, USA, (95.0  90.5)  227.9
24. Abby Hughes, USA  (89.0  90.0)  207.5

World Cup
Val di Fiemme, Predazzo, Italy
Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, K95
(with wind system calculation)

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (105, 107.5) 277.2
2. Daniela Iraschko, AUT, (107.0  103.0)  275.5
3. Anette Sagen, NOR, (95.5  99.5)  248.1

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4. Lindsey Van, USA, (103, 93.5) 244.4
6. Jessica Jerome, USA (96.5  94.5)  238.3
22. Abby Hughes, USA  (83.5  87.0)  198.1
24. Alissa Johnson, USA (82.0  89.5)  194.1

NOTES

• Saturday, Jan. 14 - Sarah Hendrickson set the Val di Fiemme hill record for the women's World Cup with a jump of 107.5 meters

• Sunday, Jan. 15 - Hendrickson broke her Saturday record with a jump of 108 meters on Sunday.

• Hendrickson is ranked 1st the World Cup standings; Lindsey Van is 3rd; Jessica Jerome is 9th; Alissa Johnson is 23rd; Abby Hughes is 29th.

• The Visa Women's Ski Jumping Team leads the World Cup standings followed by Germany and Austria.

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