USA Nordic Weekend Recap: World, Continental & FIS Cups

Last weekend, USA Nordic Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes competed in different World, Continental and FIS Cup competitions across Europe. Erik Belshaw made his World Cup debut for Men's Ski Jumping in Engelberg, scoring his first-ever World Cup points. Annika Belshaw was then able to notch two Continental Cup podiums for Women's Ski Jumping, placing second during both days of competition in Notodden, Norway. For Men's Nordic Combined, Jared Shumate was able to score his first World Cup points of the season for his team in Ramsau, Austria.

Men's Ski Jumping

Men's Ski Jumping kicked-off the Engelberg World Cup on Friday, with the HS140 Qualification. Erik Belshaw jumped to 111.0 meters for 85.4 points, putting him in 43rd place, as he qualified for Saturday's Individual HS140 Event. Decker Dean was also able to qualify for Saturday's Individual HS140, as he also jumped to 111.0 meters, giving him 82.2 points and a 45th place finish. On Saturday, Belshaw finished 38th overall, as he jumped to 121.5 meters for 121.0 points. Dean was close behind, as he carded a 47th place finish, after going 120.0 meters for 113.0 points.

The final day of action in Engelberg came on Sunday, as the day started off with another HS140 Qualification. Both Belshaw and Dean were both able to qualify, with Belshaw placing 35th (111.0 meters, 99.0 points) and Dean placing 46th (97.5 meters, 83.1 points). During the first round of the Individual HS140, Dean recorded a 105.0 meter jump for 88.0 points, giving him a 49th place finish, as he was unable to advance to the second round. Belshaw then went 123.0 meters in the first round, giving him 121.4 points, as he advanced to the final round. Belshaw added a 117.5 meter jump for 108.6 points in the final round, giving him 230.0 points on the day. This gave Belshaw a 24th place finish, as he earned his first-ever World Cup points in his World Cup debut.

Andrew Urlaub then competed at the Continental Cup in Ruka, Finland, for Men's Ski Jumping on Saturday and Sunday. During Saturday's Individual HS142, Urlaub recorded a 122.0 meter jump, giving him 86.9 points, as he ended the day with a 41st place finish. Urlaub wrapped his weekend up on Sunday, as he competed in one more Individual HS142. Placing 39th overall, Urlaub was unable to qualify for the final round, as he jumped to 106.0 meters for 84.0 points.

USA Nordic Junior National Team athletes Tate Frantz, Maxim Glyvka, Isak Nichols and Jason Colby, then competed for Men's Ski Jumping at the FIS Cup in Notodden, Norway. During Friday's Individual HS98, Frantz recorded the highest finish of the day, notching jumps of 87.5 and 92.0 meters (221.5 points), placing 20th overall. Glyvka followed in 48th (73.0 meters, 75.7 points), with Nichols placing 57th (66.0 meters, 59.2 points). The weekend then concluded on Saturday, with one more Individual HS98 Event. Glyvka recorded the highest finish of the day in 46th (72.5 meters, 76.4 points), with Colby close behind in 47th (72.0 meters, 73.8 points), and Nichols in 57th (61.5 meters, 52.4 points).

Women's Ski Jumping

Women's Ski Jumping's competed at the Continental Cup in Notodden, Norway, this past weekend. During Friday's Individual HS98, Annika Belshaw earned her first podium of the season, as she finished 2nd overall. Belshaw recorded jumps of 91.5 and 87.5 meters, giving her a total of 223.3 points on the day. Sam Macuga then added a 7th place finish for Women's Ski Jumping, as she jumped to 76.5 and 87.5 meters, earning a total of 186.4 points. In her first competition back since a collarbone injury, Josie Johnson finished 11th overall, as she notched jumps of 83.5 and 76.0 meters (178.7 points). Anna Hoffmann was right behind Johnson in 12th place, jumping to 78.0 and 80.5 meters, for a total of 175.0 points. Cara Larson then rounded things out, placing 22nd overall, after jumping to 73.5 and 71.0 meters for 143.4 points.

Belshaw then capped off her weekend with another 2nd place finish in Saturday's Individual HS98 Competition. Carding jumps of 91.5 and 91.0 meters, Belshaw came away with 231.7 points, just three points behind first place (234.7 points). Paige Jones followed in 5th place, as she jumped to 89.5 and 83.5 meters, for a total of 204.4 points. Macuga (8th) and Johnson (9th) were close behind, with Hoffmann (12th) and Larson (19th) closing things out for Women's Ski Jumping in Notodden.

“Overall, I’m very happy with the team’s performances this weekend in Notodden,” said USA Nordic Men’s and Women’s Ski Jumping Coach, Anders Johnson. “Annika showed very strong jumps and was fighting for the victory both days, missing out by just a few points. But to also have four girls in the top ten on Saturday, it really shows that the whole team is performing at a high level. This was a great way to end the first period of the season and gives the athletes a lot of confidence moving into the next events.”

Men's Nordic Combined

Men's Nordic Combined got things started at the World Cup in Ramsau on Friday, with the first HS98/10km Event of the weekend. On the hill, Ben Loomis recorded the longest jump of the day, as he went 84.0 meters for 106.2 points, putting him in 31st place to start the 10km race. Jared Shumate followed close behind in 38th, jumping to 82.0 meters for 99.7 points. Grant Andrews then jumped to 78.5 meters (94.6 points), putting him in 48th, with Jasper Good adding a 72.0 meter jump (82.3 points), finishing 51st overall.

During Friday's 10km race, Shumate was able to ski up, as he finished 27th overall with a total time of 24:08.1, giving him his first World Cup points of the season. Loomis followed in 34th, as he finished the 10km with a total time of 24:54.4. Good (45th, 24:57.6 total time) and Andrews (50th, 26:40.8), then rounded things off for Men's Nordic Combined.

Competition wrapped up on Saturday for Men's Nordic Combined in Ramsau, with the final HS98/10km Event of the weekend. Loomis jumped his way to 81.0 meters, giving him 99.4 points, as he placed 43rd overall for the start of the 10km race. Andrews was close behind in 44th (80.0 meters, 98.8 points), with Stephen Schumann in 47th (78.5 meters, 96.6 points) and Shumate in 50th (77.0 meters, 85.7 points). In the 10km race, Schumann recorded the best finish of the day, placing 35th overall (25:31.0 total time), giving him his highest individual World Cup finish. Loomis was close behind in 38th (26:00.3 total time), with Shumate in 39th (25:16.2 total time) and Andrews in 44th (26:48.1 total time).

Niklas Malacinski, Carter Brubaker and Erik Lynch, then competed for Men's Nordic Combined at the Continental Cup in Ruka, Finland. Competition started off on Friday for Men's Nordic Combined, with a Mass Start HS142/10km Event. Brubaker recorded the highest finish of the day, placing 28th overall with 38.7 total points. Lynch followed in 31st, as he notched 36.7 total points. Competition resumed on Saturday, with the second Mass Start HS142/10km Event of the weekend. Malacinski was able to card a 9th place finish (76.2 total points), with Lynch finishing in 28th (36.7 total points).

The Ruka Continental Cup concluded on Sunday, as Malacinski, Brubaker and Lynch competed in the sole HS142/10km Event of the weekend. Malacinski was the highest placing athlete of the day, as he finished 10th overall, finishing the 10km with a total time of 26:51.0. Brubaker added a 26th place finish (27:43.4 total time), with Lynch rounding things off in 32nd (27:53.5 total time).

Women's Nordic Combined

Annika Malacinski was the sole competitor for USA Nordic at the Women's Nordic Combined World Cup in Ramsau, Austria. Competition kicked-off on Friday, as Malacinski competed in the first HS98/5km Event of the weekend. On the hill, Malacinski recorded a jump of 69.5 meters (75.0 points), putting her 23rd overall to start the 5km race. Malacinski then skied up in the 5km, finishing 20th overall with a total time of 14:51.8.

Malacinski wrapped up her weekend on Saturday, with the final HS98/5km Event of the weekend. Malacinski was able to have a better day on the hill, as she was able to jump to 74.0 meters for 77.0 points, putting her in 25th for the 5km race. Malacinski was then able to ski up again, as she finished 21st overall with a total time of 15:36.0, as she earned her second World Cup points of the weekend.