Ski Jumping for Mixed Teams catches on

STRBSKE PLESO – Introduced at the previous edition of the Winter Universiade in Trentino, in 2013, today’s Mixed Team competition in ski jumping confirmed its potential with nine teams battling it out for the Universiade gold.

The purpose of this new competition was to provide female athletes a new opportunity to compete, all delegations not being able to align two jumpers, the minimum amount for participation in an event by traditional teams.

Here in Strbske Pleso, Russia could not retain its title acquired in 2013, in fact, Team Russia lost its mastery of the jumping hills to the Japanese team of Yuka and Junshiro Kobayashi. Both were successful and a great first jump directly widened the gap with the Russian team and the second Japanese team. Weather conditions were going to do the rest. Indeed heavy snow would prevent a second round freezing the results. Thus, one jump only, but a superb win anyway…

Yvan Dufour, Editor-in-Chief – Photos by Roman Benicky

The mixed team podium