USA Nordic - Weekend Recap: Nordic Combined & Ski Jumping – Lillehammer World Cups

Last weekend, USA Nordic Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes competed at the FIS World Cup events in Lillehammer, Norway. Ben Loomis, Niklas Malacinski, Stephen Schumann, Annika Malacinski and Alexa Brabec were all able to record points in the Nordic Combined World Cup events. Andrew Urlaub and Paige Jones notched their first points of the 2023/2024 season for Ski Jumping in their respective World Cup events as well.

Women's Nordic Combined

Women’s Nordic Combined kicked-off the 2023/2024 FIS World Cup circuit on Friday, December 1st, as they competed in their first World Cup event of the season. During Friday’s HS98/5km World Cup, Annika Malacinski was able to jump to the 21st position, going 79.5 meters for 86.8 points. Alexa Brabec was close behind, jumping to 78.0 meters for 81.3 points, as she locked in the 24th position for the 5km. For the 5km race, Malacinski was able to ski up, finishing the race 16th overall, with a total time of 15:49.4. Brabec was then able to hold the 24th position, finishing the 5km course with a time of 16:35.7, as Malacinski and Brabec earned their first World Cup points of the season.

The final HS98/5km World Cup of the weekend for Women’s Nordic Combined took place on Saturday, December 2nd. Malacinski bested her jump from Friday, going 87.5 meters for 109.6 points, putting herself in the 14th position for the 5km race. Brabec then jumped to 73.5 meters for 85.4 points, placing her 26th overall. Malacinski was able to ski up yet again in the 5km, earning a top 15 finish, as she placed 13th overall, finishing the course in 15:47.6. Brabec skied up three spots, earning a 23rd place finish in the 5km, as she completed the race with a time of 15:48.0.

Men's Nordic Combined

Men’s Nordic Combined got things started on Saturday, December 2nd, as they competed in the HS98/10km World Cup event. Niklas Malacinski had the best day on the hill, jumping to 90.5 meters for 115.2 points, as he landed himself in 31st place. Ben Loomis then jumped to 90.0 meters, placing 34th overall, as he earned 112.6 points. Stephen Schumann went 85.5 meters for 110.0 points, putting him in the 40th position for the start of the 10km. Grant Andrews rounded things off, jumping to 48th place, as he recorded an 87.0 meter jump for 104.7 points. During the 10km, Malacinski was able to record highest finish of the day, as he placed 25th overall, finishing the course in 24:58.2. Loomis skied up to 28th place, completing the 10km in 24:49.1, with Schumann right behind in 29th (24:39.2 total time). Andrews then finished the course in 26:43.9, as he held on for the 48th place finish.

The final World Cup event of the weekend for Men’s Nordic Combined came on Sunday, December 3rd, as athletes competed in the HS140/10km event. Loomis recorded the best jump of the day, going 125.5 meters for 125.3 points, putting him in the 17th position for the 10km. Malacinski landed in 33rd, jumping to 115.5 meters for 105.9 points. Schumann was close behind in 37th, as he recorded a 113.0 meter jump, giving him a total of 101.3 points. Andrews was then able to best his jump from Saturday, going 113.0 meters for 99.8 points, putting him in the 41st position for the 10km. Loomis was then able to ski up three positions, recording his first top 15 finish of the season, placing 14th overall with a total time of 25:29.2. Schumann was able to ski up as well from 37th, placing 22nd overall, as he finished the 10km in 24:55.8. Malacinski was close behind in 25th, after skiing up from the 33rd position, finishing the course in 25:14.6. Andrews then closed things out, as he completed the 10km in 27:27.4, placing 47th overall.

Women's Ski Jumping

Josie Johnson, Paige Jones, and Sam Macuga represented Women’s Ski Jumping at the first World Cup events of the 2023/2024 season in Lillehammer. During the HS98 Qualification on Friday, December 1st, Jones was able to go 80.5 meters for 93.0 points, as she was the sole athlete from the United States to qualify, placing 28th overall. Macuga landed in 51st place, as she went 70.0 meters for 73.9 points, with Johnson coming in 56th, going 68.0 meters for 65.8 points. During the Individual HS98 World Cup on Saturday, December 2nd, jones was able to put together a 77.5 meter jump for 87.0 points. This jump put her 37th overall, as she was unable to qualify for the final round of action.

The final events of the weekend came on Sunday, December 3rd, starting off with the HS140 Qualification. Jones was yet again the sole athlete to qualify, placing 33rd overall with a jump of 100.0 meters, giving her 66.1 points. Johnson finished 52nd overall (85.0 meters, 33.6 points), with Macuga close behind in 56th (84.0 meters, 29.3 points). Later in the day, during the Individual HS140 World Cup, Jones was able to soar to 111.0 meters, giving her 82.9 points, as she was able to advance to the second round. Jones then bested the distance of her first round jump, going 113.5 meters for 80.6 points, giving her 163.5 total points, as she scored her first World Cup points of the 2023/2024 season.

Men's Ski Jumping

Men’s Ski Jumping got their weekend on Friday, December 1st, as athletes competed in the HS98 Qualification. Andrew Urlaub was the sole athlete to qualify for the United States, as he put together a 90.0 meter jump for 113.8 points, earning a 32nd overall finish and qualifying for Saturday’s World Cup. Erik Belshaw placed 53rd overall, going 82.5 meters for 100.3 points. Tate Frantz finished 55th (80.5 meters, 95.5 points) overall, with Decker Dean right behind in 56th (82.0 meters, 93.2 points). During the Individual HS98 World Cup on Saturday, December 2nd, Urlaub put together a 91.5 meter jump in the first round, giving him 126.6 points, as he was able to qualify for the final round. Urlaub then went 90.0 meters for 123.5 points in the second round, giving him 250.1 points on the day, as he recorded his first World Cup points of the season in 27th place.

Competition then wrapped up on Sunday, December 3rd, as athletes competed in the final World Cup events of the weekend in Lillehammer. Urlaub was yet again the sole athlete to qualify, as he placed 50th overall in the HS140 Qualification, jumping to 116.0 meters for 100.5 points. Belshaw barely missed qualification in 51st place, as he went 117.5 meters for 100.4 points. Frantz placed 53rd overall, putting together a 114.5 meter jump (98.6 points), with Dean placing 61st (98.0 meters, 65.1 points). Later in the day, during the Individual HS140 World Cup, Urlaub was able to put together a 112.5 meter jump for 100.4 points. This placed him 46th overall, as he was unable to qualify for the final round, ending the weekend for Men’s Ski Jumping in Lillehammer.