In the test round she fell headfirst, and in the competition she jumped further than any woman had ever done before. The Norwegian Silje Opseth was “very happy”.
Bloody nose and tears for distance hunter Silje Opseth, disappointed expression for three-time world champion Katharina Schmid: The first ski flying in the history of the women’s World Cup left a lot of emotional and physical marks.
At the center of the action was the Norwegian Opseth, who fell headfirst after 236.5 meters in the test round and was then badly scarred. “She looked like a boxer after a fight,” said Schmid, formerly Althaus, describing her colleague on Sunday without any exaggeration.
But the 24-year-old Opseth did not allow herself to be discouraged and later jumped 230.5 meters in the final without falling – this time the women’s world record counted. “It means the world to me. That was my goal for the season, to deliver like this on a day like today,” said Opseth, who suffered bloody abrasions, especially on her nose and forehead.
“Insane brand”
First headfirst into the snow, then injured to another record: For Opseth it was a memorable day in perfect weather. “I feel OK, I don’t have any serious injuries. It was a wild day. This is just breathtaking,” said the Norwegian. “Today I’m very happy and very satisfied, especially after the fall in the test.” When trying to reach 236.5 meters, ZDF expert Severin Freund spoke of “an insane mark” that unfortunately didn’t work.
Despite setting a record, Opseth had to admit defeat to her compatriot Eirin Maria Kvandal after two jumps.
Less than 200 meters for Schmid
Germany’s top athlete Schmid, on the other hand, has to continue to wait for a lifelong dream. Her 195 meters in the second jump was enough for fourth place on the day, but like last year, the 200 meters didn’t work out.
“I really got into flying for the first time. It really felt like flying. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to do the 200 meters yet, but now I finally had the feeling of flying,” said Schmid, who was in the run-out she was annoyed by the missed mark and showed with her fingers how little she was missing in return. It is still unclear whether the 27-year-old will continue her career beyond this winter – there would only be the opportunity to fly again next season.
But the weekend in Vikersund also showed how far the road to equality still is. While the men’s singles on Saturday was rescheduled, the canceled women’s singles was canceled without replacement.
Last year the jumpers took off on a flying hill for the first time. However, the jumping in March 2023 did not count towards the World Cup. Despite outliers like Opseth’s flights, there is still room for improvement in terms of sport: only seven of the athletes’ 34 attempts on Sunday were at or over the 200 meter mark.