W.Amazing white winter world. A day like a photo. A day for records. On Saturday there was still no possibility of flying with skis in the Vikersunder Monsterbakken because there was a storm and it was snowing heavily. There are no competitions, everything cancelled. The next day, a steel-blue sky stretched over Hoppsenter, as it is called in Norwegian. Imperial climate in royal land. Raw Air finale on the largest ski hill in the world.
Ladies first, as at the beginning of the three-day flight on the gigantic ski jump. The top 17 women took advantage of the opportunity presented to them at ten in the morning, and one in particular: Silje Opseth. Three quarters of an hour earlier she had already achieved a world record in the test. But the Norwegian could not withstand the 236.5 meters. She fell and suffered scratches to her face, but kept going. “My body was full of adrenaline,” the 24-year-old told FAZ. Pain? “Yes, I already had that. He hurt me and burned me. But I didn't have much time to think. He was in a hurry. He just had to keep jumping.”
When it counted in the competition, he set the new world record with his second flight. Silje Opseth flew 230.5 meters, landed cleanly and safely and soon after found herself in the arms of her fellow jumpers. She was able to overcome the fact that the victory of the day and also the success in the Raw Air general classification went to her teammate Eirin Maria Kvandal. Katharina Schmid was also happy with the new world record jumper, which she managed to really fly on this magical winter day in the Monsterbakken.
flown for the first time
“It was a lot of fun. “I flew for the first time in my life,” said the Oberstdorf native, who came fourth that day in the general classification with two flights of 183.5 and 195 meters. He was about to fulfill his sporting dream, which was marked by a thick red mark on the slope: overcome the 200 meter barrier.
200 meters: “It would have been easy to fly that,” said Selina Freitag, the second German who had the privilege of being part of the select field of 17 women. During the test, people jumped through hatch 25. When the time came, the jury sent the women of Luke 21 to the catwalk. Selina Freitag, who placed 16th in the daily standings and 12th overall after her flights at 165 and 169.5 meters, expressed hope that “Raw Air with ski flying will still be there for us.” women”.
For the men, the Raw Air, a sort of Norwegian alternative to the German-Austrian Four Hills tournament, is an integral part. The endurance tour in Scandinavian ski jumping has been part of the program since 2017. The program is also that Stefan Kraft He won the World Cup again and prematurely for the third time in his great career. Even before the second air show in Vikersund late in the afternoon, where Kraft came second behind compatriot Daniel Huber and confidently secured the Raw Air overall classification, the Austrian had already pulled away impregnably from the competition.
“A sensational flight”
His flight to 244 meters was enough for his 13th victory in the 30th World Cup of the season, but it was not the ultimate revelation on this wonderful day of flying in southern Norway. Huber took care of it. The Austrian, who has been plagued by injuries and setbacks in the past, made the flight of his life in the first competition in Monsterbakken on Sunday. 247.5 meters. It wouldn't be long and he would have gotten close to the world record set by Kraft, who set the record that still stands today with 253.5 meters at the premiere of Raw Air in 2017.
“I was totally into the wave. A sensational flight,” said Huber, who later also jumped 244 and 240.5 meters when the field of participants was reduced from 30 to 20 and finally to ten participants in the second competition. “Krafti and I have known each other for 20 years and now we have reached double height.” Kraft, 30, spoke of a “cheesy dream day.” The conditions here are just great.”
Germans? Andreas Wellinger, the best and most consistent in this winter World Championship that will end next weekend in Planica, came sixth. A ninth place was later added. Stephan Leyhe (13th), Pius Paschke (15th) and Philipp Raimund (29th) can do better, and Karl Geiger also. But the former ski flying world champion had a dark day, after individual errors he landed at 113 meters and took 39th place. Far ahead of Geiger was the man who expected strong support in the jump and got it: Noriaki Kasai. The Japanese veteran, who at 51 still feels young enough for long-range hunting, flew 212 meters, good for 27th place. It was the first flight in five years for Kasai, who recently returned to the World Cup. For Silje Opseth, the day he will never forget.