USA Nordic Weekend Preview: Ski Jumping Raw Air Tournament & Nordic Combined Oslo World Cups

The FIS World Cup circuit continues this weekend for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined athletes. Men’s and Women’s Ski Jumping will compete in the Raw Air Tournament, which will make stops in Oslo, Trondheim and Vikersund, spanning from March 8-17. Men’s and Women’s Nordic Combined will compete at the World Cup events in Oslo, Norway, which will be held from March 7-10.

Athletes Competing in FIS Ski Jumping Raw Air Tournament

• Men’s Ski Jumping – Erik Belshaw, Tate Frantz
• Women’s Ski Jumping – Annika Belshaw, Josie Johnson, Paige Jones, Sam Macuga

Athletes Competing in FIS Nordic Combined World Cup Circuit

• Men’s Nordic Combined – Oslo, Norway: Ben Loomis, Grant Andrews, Niklas Malacinski, Stephen Schumann
• Women’s Nordic Combined – Oslo, Norway: Annika Malacinski, Alexa Brabec

Men’s Ski Jumping Preview

Erik Belshaw and Tate Frantz will compete in the FIS Ski Jumping Raw Air Tournament from March 8-17. Last weekend, both athletes competed at the Men’s Ski Jumping World Cup events in Lahti, Finland. During the Individual HS130 World Cup on Friday, March 1st, Belshaw placed 24th overall. Frantz was able to card a new World Cup personal best finish, placing 17th overall. Belshaw and Frantz then competed with Casey Larson and Andrew Urlaub in the Team HS130 World Cup on Saturday, March 2nd, as the foursome was able to place 8th overall. Competition in Lahti wrapped up on Sunday, March 3rd, as athletes took the hill for another Individual HS130 World Cup. Belshaw was able to place 15th overall, with Frantz carding his second top 20 finish of the weekend, placing 18th overall.

Women’s Ski Jumping Preview

Annika Belshaw, Josie Johnson, Paige Jones and Sam Macuga will compete in the FIS Ski Jumping Raw Air Tournament from March 8-17. Last weekend, Belshaw and Jones competed at the Women’s Ski Jumping World Cup events in Lahti, Finland. Both athletes were able to qualify for the Individual HS130 World Cup, which was held on Friday, March 1st. During the first round, Belshaw placed 33rd overall, with Jones jumping to 37th place, as both athletes were unable to advance to the final round. Macuga last competed at the World Cup events in Willingen, Germany, where she scored her first-ever World Cup points during the Individual HS147 World Cup on February 4th, placing 29th overall. Johnson last competed at the World Cup events in Hinzenbach, placing 39th overall in the HS90 World Cup on February 24th.

Men’s Nordic Combined Preview

Ben Loomis, Grant Andrews, Niklas Malacinski and Stephen Schumann will compete at the World Cup events in Oslo, Norway. Last weekend, all four athletes competed in the Men’s Nordic Combined World Cup events in Lahti, Finland. During the Team HS130/2×7.5km World Cup on March 2nd, Malacinski and Schumann placed 6th overall, with Andrews and Loomis placing 15th overall. The final event of the weekend came on Sunday, March 3rd, as athletes competed in the HS130/10km World Cup. Malacinski was able to place 20th overall, notching his third top 20 of the season after finishing the course in. Loomis was able to place 26th overall, with Schumann skiing up to finish 30th overall, and Andrews was close behind in 35th.

Women’s Nordic Combined Preview

Alexa Brabec and Annika Malacinski will represent the United States at the Women’s Nordic Combined World Cup competitions in Oslo, Norway. Malacinski most recently competed at the World Cup events in Otepää, Estonia, where she finished 10th overall in the Mass Start HS97/5km World Cup on February 9th, as well as 11th and 12th overall during the HS97/5km World Cups on February 10th and 11th. Prior to winning two silver medals for he United States in Women’s Nordic Combined at the Junior World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, Brabec last competed at the World Cup events in Seefeld, Austria. During the HS109/5km World Cup on February 2nd, Brabec finished 10th overall, carding a new World Cup personal best and her first-ever top 10 finish. The final World Cup of the weekend came on Saturday, February 3rd, as athletes competed in the Compact HS109/5km event, with Brabec placing 12th overall.