With the FIS Grand Prix in Courchevel (FRA) the Ski Jumping ladies starting into a new season.The individual competition on Friday is the first step on the road to the Olympic Games in PyeongChang in February. 

Five months after the World Cup final in Oslo, it is also the first trial of strength after a long break.The main question will remain the same like last season: Who can take on Sara Takanashi? The four time World Cup overall winner from Japan has also been the best athlete in the summer in the past five years.


Hunting Takanashi - without Carina Vogt
Even though summer victories do not have the same weight like winter ones do – beating the best female ski jumper of all time always is an ambitious goal for her competitors.One of the strongest ladies will not get that chance on Friday. World and Olympic champion Carina Vogt of Germany fell in the trainings in Courchevel and suffered a knee injury. A huge setback for Vogt and the German team. According to the German Ski Federation, Vogt will have to pause for around six weeks.Apart of her the audience can look forward to the best ski jumpers in the world.

Top athletes competing
Yuki Ito of Japan, Norway´s Maren Lundby and Germany´s Katharina Althaus, who celebrated their first World Cup victories last winter, will compete. Also the best Slovenian lady, Ema Klinec, and Russia´s number one, Irina Avvakumova, Chiara Hoelzl of Austria and America´s Sarah Hendrickson are taking on the HS 96 hill in France.

The qualification will be held on Friday at 10.15 am , the competition starts at 6.30 pm (CET).

Source: fis-ski.com