First World Cup team event win for Slovenia women's ski jumpers

Ljubno ob Savinji, 23 January - Slovenian women's ski jumpers Ema Klinec, Špela Rogelj, Urša Bogataj in Nika Križnar won Saturday's World Cup team event, in what is their first-ever team event win. The victory comes after they finished second at the same venue, in Slovenia's Ljubno ob Savinji, in 2019 and 2020.

Ljubno ob Savinji
Slovenia's female ski jumpers win the World Cup team race.
Photo: Slovenian Ski Association

Ljubno ob Savinji
Slovenian jumper Ema Klinec.
Photo: Slovenian Ski Association

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Having led already after the first series, they finished as many as 17.9 points ahead of second placed Norway while Austria's team placed third.

"This is a historic victory for Slovenian ski jumping. I'm glad it's a team victory, because it means the most to me," head coach Zoran Zupančič told the press after he dared to forecast on Friday the girls would win today.

He said Ema Klinec did a great job with the first jump, leading the way for the entire team. He admitted it was a good tactical move to pick her for the first jump.

He also thanked all his predecessors and all the girls who had helped make Slovenia one of the leading nations in ski jumping.

Zupančič is confident that "we can look forward to tomorrow's individual event", which will feature seven Slovenian ski jumpers.

Friday's qualifications attracted to Ljubno a record 76 ski jumpers from 17 countries.

Although World Cup ski-jumping brings 10-15 thousand visitors to Ljubno, this year it is held without spectators due to the coronavirus epidemic.

* Results:
1. Slovenia   1064.8 points
2. Norway     1046.9
3. Austria    1028.9
4. Japan       989.6
5. Germany     968.0
6. Russia      925.6
7. France      882.1
8. Poland      864.6

Jan 23, 2021, 17:35 eho/zza/eho