Joy and tears: German women experience rollercoaster at Engelberg World Cup

The Women’s Ski Jumping World Cup in Engelberg delivered contrasting emotions for the German team.

Selina Freitag appeared set for a podium in Sunday’s competition and sailed to 138 metres in the final, a jump that would likely have put her in the lead. However, she lost a ski on the soft landing and crashed onto her right side. Freitag was able to leave the hill uninjured, later saying she was upset with her landings throughout the weekend but physically fine.

In stark contrast, Katharina Schmid (SC Oberstdorf) celebrated her first podium of the season. With jumps of 127.0 m and 134.5 m, she finished third, giving Germany its first women’s World Cup podium of the winter. “I’m really happy I finally produced two solid jumps in a competition,” Schmid said.

The victory once again went to Slovenia’s Nika Prevc with jumps of 128.5 m and 136.0 m. Norway’s Anna Odine Strøm was second, 16.7 points back. Agnes Reisch (WSV Isny) completed a strong German team result in fourth with 125.0 m and 131.0 m, missing the podium by only 0.4 points. Juliane Seyfarth (WSC Ruhla) was 13th after dropping from 10th at halfway due to a wind-affected second jump of 116.0 m after 122.0 m in the first round.

Freitag had already battled shifting winds in the first round, where she managed 123.5 m and received a competition-high 19.9 wind compensation points among the favourites. She entered the final in fourth, produced the day’s longest jump, but the crash left her ninth overall.

World Cup overall leader Nozomi Maruyama (Japan), Saturday’s winner, was blown off form in the first round and landed at 112.0 m despite 17.9 wind bonus points. She improved from 14th at the break to sixth with an attacking second jump.

Germany’s Emely Torazza, born in Thuringia and competing for the DSV after previously representing Switzerland, made the final with 120.0 m and finished 27th after 104.0 m in gustier conditions. Alvine Holz (WSV Bad Freienwalde) qualified but missed the final with 109.0 m. Head coach Heinz Kuttin will decide soon whether the 21-year-old earns a start at the upcoming Two-Nights Tour in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (31 December) and Oberstdorf (1 January).

The Engelberg event served as the dress rehearsal for the new Two-Nights Tour, with the German women showing both high potential and painful near-misses amid challenging wind and soft landing conditions.