Sara Takanashi won the FIS Grand Prix in Chaikovsky, Russia. The Japanese dominated the competition with 101.5 m and 99.5 m and 257.4 points. She came in almost 26 points ahead of Maren Lundby in second, the third place went to Line Jahr.

The Japanese told later: "Especially my jump in the first round was very good. I think I was able to adjust to this hill very well. Tomorrow I'll try to focus on my performance again."

Behind Takanashi, Lundby was the best of the rest with 92.5 m and 96.5 m and 231.8 points and achieved her first podium result in the Grand Prix. Lundby said: "We have been training really hard and this is the result of this hard work. It's fun to be on the podium together with Line. The Grand Prix is important for me, because it shows that I'm on the right track."

First Grand Prix podium for Jahr

Also her teammate Line Jahr, third with 92 m and 98.5 m and 227.6 points, has never been on the podium in a summer Grand Prix competition before. Line Jahr said: "I like the hill here, the conditions were good. It was my first time here in summer. Tomorrow I hope I can show two jumps like my second one today and hopefully this will be enough for the podium again."

1.3 points behind, Yuki Ito closely missed the podium with 90.5 m and 98.5 m.

French Julia Clair was fifth with 90.5 m and 99 m (225.6 points). In absence of Austrian world class athlete Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, US American Nita Englund came in on a good sixth place with 225.4 points. Maja Vtic (224.9 points) and Spela Rogelj (224.5 points) of Slovenia finished seventh and eighth.

Tikhonova best Russian

Sofia Tikhonova shared the eighth place with Rogelj and was the best of the local heroes of Russia. Katharina Althaus was the best German in tenth with 218.0 points. Finland's Julia Kykkaenen closely missed the Top 10 in eleventh, Irina Avvakumova followed in 12th. Ursa Bogataj was 13th, ahead of the newly crowned German national champion Juliane Seyfarth, Lea Lemare and Coline Mattel of France and Germany's Anna Rupprecht. Russians Mariia Iakovleva, Ksenia Kablukova and Stefaniya Nadymova scored points in the Grand Prix for the first time in 24th, 27th and 30th. Czech Zdena Pesatova was 26th.

The second ladies' competition in Chaikovsky will take place on Sunday at 2:00 pm CET.

Source: fis-ski.com