Annika Morgan was the first athlete of the German snowboard team to fly onto a big air podium. The 19-year-old from Miesbach came third at the World Cup in Steamboat Springs (USA) and, with her 132.25 points, only had to admit defeat to Japanese Reira Iwabuchi (178.25) and Olympic champion Anna Gasser from Austria (148). “To be in the final and then to get onto the podium for the first time – I can’t believe it, it really turned out to be a dream,” she said.
Before the third final run, Morgan was only eighth and last, but then put a real exclamation mark in the snow: She stood a “Backside 1080”, which she had brought out in qualifying for the first time in a competition – with a small blemish: She turned the jump slightly on landing. But it was still enough for the “podium”.
The final got off to a very bad start for Morgan, who was already third-best in the qualification. In the first run she fell and was not scored. So she was under pressure in the second run, as the two best runs are counted for the overall standings. Morgan, who is already qualified for the Olympics, was backing up her “Cab Double Cork 900”, ie two and a half turns.
Taubitz and Geisenberger bring home a double victory in Sochi
At the third Luge World Cup of the Olympic winter, Germany’s greatest hopefuls reported back with a double success. World champion Julia Taubitz won on Sunday in Sochi ahead of Olympic champion Natalie Geisenberger. Kendija Aparjode from Latvia came third. “It was now time for a result to come,” said Geisenberger. “And there was no brutal pressure because I took a step further in terms of Olympic qualification.”
With a view to the Winter Games in Beijing (February 4th to 20th), good results are also important for the highly decorated Geisenberger, because there is high competitive pressure within the balanced German women’s team. For Geisenberger, who became a mother for the first time last year, eighth place was the best result of the season so far. Two months before the Olympics, the German women seem to be on the right path, because Anna Berreiter (Berchtesgaden) also confirmed her strong early form. The sports soldier, who had surprisingly won in the same place a week earlier, finished fourth on Sunday. Dajana Eitberger (Ilmenau) failed her first run, but as the fastest of the second run she still managed to finish ninth.
In the men’s category, only Johannes Ludwig was convincing on Saturday. The Olympic third, who had won both World Cups so far, ended up in second place behind Kristers Aparjods from Latvia. The former dominator Felix Loch only came in sixth despite a strong second run. In the doubles, Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken narrowly missed out on victory in second. Also in the non-Olympic sprint there was only one German success in Sochi on Sunday. Taubitz won the women’s short distance race over just one run. The men all missed the podium, in the doubles Robin Geueke / David Gamm at least took third place.
Siegel wins first ski jumping on the Olympic hill in Beijing
David Siegel won the first ski jumping on the big Olympic hill in Beijing. The 2016 junior world champion from Baiersbronn won the competition in the second-class Continental Cup with jumps of 131 and 129.5 m. On Sunday, the 25-year-old, who had suffered a serious knee injury almost three years ago, took second place in the victory of the Austrian Ulrich Wohlgenannt. On the futuristic ski jumping hill in Zhangjiakou around 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, which was completed in December 2020, four decisions will be made at the Winter Games in February, two of them in the Nordic Combined.
The neighboring small ski jump was also officially inaugurated on Saturday. In the women’s Continental Cup, Carina Vogt, who became the first ever Olympic champion in 2014 in Sochi, took third place. The victory went to the Russian Marija Jakowlewa. On Sunday, Vogt took third place in the renewed Russian success by Diana Toroptschenowa. However, only 16 jumpers were at the start.
Winning streak broken: Nolte second in the two-man bobsleigh World Cup
The winning streak of Laura Nolte from Winterberg in the two-man bobsleigh World Cup is broken. After two successes, she had to admit defeat to pusher Deborah Levi (SC Potsdam) on Sunday in Altenberg. After taking the lead in the first round, the third place in the World Championship was intercepted in the final run by US pilot Kaillie Humphries. The native Canadian Humphries, who received US citizenship this week, prevailed with four hundredths of a second ahead. Third place went to the Canadian Christine de Bruin ahead of Kim Kalicki from Wiesbaden, who drove with Ann-Christin Strack (BC Stuttgart). Olympic champion Mariama Jamanka from BRC Thuringia came in tenth with Kira Lipperheide (TV Gladbeck) behind the Chinese.
German cross-country relays do not make it to the podium
The German cross-country relays passed the podium at the World Cup in Lillehammer. The women, led by Katharina Hennig, finished seventh on Sunday, 40 seconds behind winner Russia. In addition to Hennig, Laura Gimmler, Pia Fink and Victoria Carl were also at the start on the 4×5 kilometers. In the men’s category, Jonas Dobler, Lucas Bögl, Friedrich Moch and Janosch Brugger also took seventh place. The gap to winner Norway with cross-country star Johannes Kläbo was 58 seconds after 4×7.5 kilometers.