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

--

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

--

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

###

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

--

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

###

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.

###

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)

--

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)

--

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.  

###

(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

---

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

---

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.

###

Val di Fiemme, Predazzo, Italy — Sarah Hendrickson is in “The Zone” — that magical place of unwavering confidence and superior performance that elite athletes in every sport strive to be.

Sarah Hendrickson in training at Val di Fiemme. She won her third World Cup comp on Saturday. Photo by ladiesskijumping.comThe 17-year-old won her third World Cup competition on Saturday, coming from behind in the second round to beat reigning World Champion Daniela Iraschko, of Austria, who finished second. Hendrickson has won three of the four World Cup comps so far this season and leads the overall standings by 136 points.

The Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team dominated the competition Saturday with three athletes in the top 6 — Lindsey Van finished 4^th and Jessica Jerome was 6^th. Norway’s longtime star, Anette Sagan, who struggled last season finished third. Visa Team members Abby Hughes and Alissa Johnson finished 22nd and 24^threspectively.

There were several delays in both rounds due to swirling wind, but overall the nighttime conditions were pretty good for jumping.

The U.S. team holds on to their top spot in the World Cup standings as competition continues tomorrow at Val di Fiemme, site of the 2013 Nordic World Ski Championships.

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

---

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

 ###  

Seefeld, Austria, Jan. 14 — Emilee Anderson, of Eau Claire, Wis., finished 9th after a resounding second-round jump in Saturday's women's ski jumping event in the inaugural Youth Olympic Winter Games.

Emilee Anderson, of Eau Claire, Wis., competes in the 2012 Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck. (Getty Images-Shaun Botterill)It also marked the first time Anderson, who is a member of the Visa Women's Ski Jumping development team, has competed outside the United States. Her first-round jump was 59.5 meters on the HS75 hill and she fought back to jump 65.5 meters in the second round.

"I had so much fun jumping with all the girls," said the 16-year-old. "I've never competed with that many jumpers. It was a tough competition, but lots of fun."

Sara Takanashi, of Japan, currently ranked 7th on the women's World Cup tour, won the event with two jumps of 76.5 meters; Katharina Althaus, of Germany, was second with jumps of 71.0 and 72.5 meters; and Ursa Bogataj was third with two jumps of 71.5 meters.

"I think overall Emilee did a wonderful job," said Greg Poirier, U.S. coach for the Youth Olympic Games Nordic Team. "Deep down she may have had a few butterflies. Her first jump was not to her potential, but it was really exciting to see her come back and jump 6th best in that round."

Anderson said she wasn't sure what happened with her first jump but she knew she needed to be more focused and solid in the second round. "I just tried not to think about anything but jumping," she said. "I was probably more excited than nervous today."

The 2012 Innsbruck Youth Winter Games is organized by the International Olympic Committee. It also is the first time women have been allowed to ski jump in an IOC-sanctioned event.

"The entire competition went off without a hitch and the atmosphere was nice and the crowd was very enthusiastic," Poirier said.

Anderson has one more event in the Youth Games. She'll compete on Saturday, Jan. 21 in Mixed Team Ski Jumping, which consists of one female and one male ski jumper, and the male Nordic Combined athlete from each country.

"My goals are to try to keep improving on my jumping and make all the small little fixes that I need to here and there," Anderson said.

###

INNSBRUCK, AUT. JAN. 11 —  Emilee Anderson has perfect timing. Or maybe it’s simply fate that this 16-year-old from the heart of ski jumping country in the U.S. will make history when she competes Saturday in a sport that has been closed to female competitors at the Olympic level for nearly 90 years.

Emilee Anderson will compete Saturday, Jan. 14 in the inaugural Youth Olympic Winter Games.Anderson will represent the U.S. and the Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team on Jan. 14 at the inaugural 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck, Austria. It marks the first time women will be allowed to compete in ski jumping in an International Olympic Committee (IOC)-sanctioned event.

“I’m so excited and this is a big honor for me,” said Anderson, who qualified for her spot in October at an event in Lake Placid, N.Y. “I’m going to do my best to represent our country, my club and the Central Division.”

The Youth Olympic Winter Games (YOG) is an international multi-sport event organized by the IOC that will take place every four years, consistent with the current format of the Olympic Winter Games.

Anderson hails from Eau Claire, Wis. — a part of the country where more than 100 years ago Norwegian immigrants introduced their love of ski jumping and cross-country skiing. She started ski jumping at age 5 after following in the footsteps of her older sister, Elisabeth. Anderson trains in Eau Claire and her parents also routinely drive her an hour-and-a-half — sometimes multiple times a week — so Emilee can jump and train with one of her coaches at the St. Paul Ski Club.

She admits to being a bit nervous for her first international competition, especially one with such huge historical significance for her sport. But Anderson’s family and coaches say that her focused attitude and laid-back personality will give her the confidence to have fun and jump great.

Emilee Anderson“Emilee has never been scared of anything in ski jumping. Nothing really fazes her,” said longtime coach Brian Nelson. “She’s very low-key and goes about her business and that’s something that really benefits her in ski jumping.”

Anderson was named to the development team of Women’s Ski Jumping USA after qualifying for the Youth Games. Some of her biggest cheerleaders Saturday will be members of the Visa Team, pioneers in the sport who for many years have pushed for the inclusion of women’s ski jumping into the Olympic Games.

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.

“I am thrilled we have a representative at the first-ever Youth Games,” said Jessica Jerome, ranked fifth in the world last season. “I love how much the sport has grown since I was Emilee's age. She has a lot of talent and I hope that this will just motivate her more.”

Jerome took notice of Anderson at a Lake Placid event where she was helping an official check the fit of athletes’ suits.

“I asked Emilee if the suit she had was her competition suit or her training suit. She said it was her only suit,” Jerome said. “When I was her age, good equipment was scarce for me too, and once you had a good suit, or a good pair of skis, (for example) you held on to that for as long as possible.”

So a couple weeks later, the veteran ski jumper picked out one of her own suits (nearly brand-new) that didn’t quite fit and mailed it to the up-and-coming jumper. “Emilee is a little shorter than me, so I thought it would be a nice fit. I would rather have her put it to good use than have it sit in a closet and not see too many jumps.” 

Anderson was blown away by the gesture and put the suit to good use. She’s been traveling and competing throughout the Midwest and East Coast in the past few months, getting as many jumps under her belt as she could in preparation for the Youth Games. And she knows she’s ready.

“This is a dream come true for me,” she said.

The Innsbruck Games will run Jan. 13-22, attracting an expected 1,057 athletes between the ages of 14-18 from more than 80 countries. The individual ski jumping event takes place Jan. 14 and the team event is scheduled for Jan. 21. Each team is made of up of the participating country’s ladies ski jumper (Anderson), male ski jumper (Will Rhoads) and male Nordic Combined athlete (Colton Kissel).

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HINTERZARTEN, GER., Jan. 8 — Sarah Hendrickson has now won two out of the three World Cup competitions so far this season after a resounding 30-point victory Sunday over second-place finisher Sara Takanashi, of Japan.

Sara Takinashi, JPN, Sarah Hendrickson, USA, Jessica Jerome, US -- Photo by ladiesskijumping.comAnd the U.S. celebration doesn’t stop there. Teammate Jessica Jerome fought back to a decisive third-place after battling unlucky wind and snow conditions on Saturday that cut the competition short after just one round. Lindsey Van finished 7^th. Alissa Johnson was 23^rd and Abby Hughes was 25^th.

“Yesterday was difficult with the weather and I haven’t been here in a couple years,” said Hendrickson, 17. “Today I got in another good training jump and got a feel for the hill. I was super confident after that and knew warming up that I could do it.”

Hendrickson jumped 107.5 and 104.5 meters on the 95K hill. Her first jump set a new ladies record on the HS108 jump. She won the women’s World Cup (WC) opener in Lillehammer on Dec. 3, and claimed the title as the first woman ever to win a WC ski jumping competition. This is the first season the International Ski Federation has held a WC for women.

Jerome jumped 101 meters both rounds Sunday. Last year, Jerome captured a 4^th in Hinterzarten and finished 5^th overall on the Continental Cup tour. She’s been working on one small technical aspect of her jumping and said she’s getting a handle on it and improving.

“I got a lot of sleep last night and I woke up and felt good today and knew I was capable of having good jumps and doing well on this hill,” said Jerome, who was just nudged out of second-place by Takanashi, who jumped shorter, but received more style points.

“With the continued growth of the sport and it being more competitive than years ago, everyone is definitely fine-tuned and absolutely everything counts,” she said.

Van, won took 2^nd in Saturday’s competition, jumped 94.0m and 93.5m on Sunday. She missed the World Cup opener in Lillehammer while healing from ankle surgery and has been battling mono.

“It’s so awesome to see Jessica do that well, she had awesome jumps today and so did Lindsey,” said Hendrickson. “To have three of us in the top 10 … No other nation can say that today. We train hard and compete well.”

The World Cup continues on Jan. 14 and 15 in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

World Cup
Hinterzarten, Germany
Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, K95
(with wind system calculation)

1. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (107.5, 104.5) 273.2
2. Sara Takanashi, JPN, (100.5, 99.5) 242.6
3. Jessica Jerome, USA (101.0, 101.0) 240.1

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7. Lindsey Van, USA, (94, 83.5) 215.8
23. Alissa Johnson, USA (91, 91) 196
25. Abby Hughes, USA (89.5, 88.5) 87.8

World Cup
Hinterzarten, Germany
Saturday, Jan. 7, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill, K95
(with wind system calculation)

Competition concluded after first jump only due to poor weather conditions.

1. Sabrina Windmuller, SUI, (100) 114.7
2. Lindsey Van, USA, (94) 113.9
3. Lisa Demetz, ITA, (97.5) 110.7

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9. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (89) 104.0
27. Jessica Jerome, USA (86) 88.5
32. Alissa Johnson, USA (83.5) 85.1
38. Abby Hughes, USA (80) 77.8

Jan. 7 - In her first World Cup ever, Lindsey Van — 27-year-old veteran of the sport — nabbed a 2nd place Saturday in Hinterzarten, Germany. Only the scores from the first round were counted because the wind and snow conditions caused lengthly delays and forced the competition to conclude after just a handful of women jumped in the second round.

Lindsey Van (USA), Sabrina Windmuller (SUI) and Lisa Demetz (ITA). Photo by ladiesskijumping.com"The weather was gnarly with really unpredictable conditions," said Van. "I’m definitely happy with results today. My jumps were pretty good, not great, but I’m looking forward to jumping farther tomorrow and hoping to do well again."

Ironically, Saturday's competition was a make-up for the cancellation of the Jan. 6 Schonach comp that was cancelled because of warm weather and a lack of snow.

Sabrina Windmüller, SUI, won with a jump of 100 meters; Van was 2nd with 94m and Lisa Demetz (ITA) was 3rd with 97.5m. Visa Women's Ski Jumping members Sarah Hendrickson was 9th (89m); Jessica Jerome was 27th (86m); Alissa Johnson was 32nd (83.5m); and Abby Hughes was 38th (80m).

Coach Paolo Bernardi said he was happy and satisfied with Saturday's results given the conditions.

"The big issue was that the wind was not friendly to us today," he said. "Then, after 25 jumpers went in the first round it started to snow really hard and Abby, Alissa and Jessica really lost a lot of speed in all the snow, but managed to jump very well."

Hendrickson, who still leads the World Cup in overall points, is performing well but just got caught up in the worst wind conditions, Bernardi said.

Van didn't compete in the World Cup opener in Lillehammer, Norway in December as she was healing from  ankle surgery in October. She said she had no problems with her leg Saturday.

"With better conditions tomorrow I definitely think our team as a whole can get in the top 15 or 10 for sure and we're looking forward to it," Van said.

The World Cup continues Sunday with another competition at Hinterzarten.

World Cup
Hinterzarten, Germany
Jan. 7, 2012
Women’s Normal Hill
(with wind system calculation)

Comeptition concluded after first jump only due to poor weather conditions.

1. Sabrina Windmuller, SUI, (100) 114.7
2. Lindsey Van, USA, (94) 113.9
3. Lisa Demetz, ITA, (97.5) 110.7

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9. Sarah Hendrickson, USA, (89) 104.0
27. Jessica Jerome, USA (86) 88.5
32. Alissa Johnson, USA (83.5) 85.1
38. Abby Hughes, USA (80) 77.8

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