“It’s very bad”: Fresh updates on the Ruka Ski Jumping World Cup amid severe wind

Severe and gusty winds have disrupted the Ruka Ski Jumping World Cup throughout the weekend. After repeated weather issues on Friday that led to a full cancellation of training and qualifications, Sunday’s qualifications for the second individual event were also called off.

According to FIS ski jumping race director Sandro Pertile, the chances of jumping on Sunday are very small. He told Eurosport that FIS has already spoken with the Finnish federation about staging a replacement competition in Lahti if Ruka cannot go ahead.

Organizers floated a contingency to start a competition at 14:50 CET with a field of 64 athletes, but even that plan was uncertain due to the wind forecast.

Saturday provided only partial relief: training, qualifications, and the first competition round were completed. The second round started but was halted after eight jumpers, and the results of the first round were declared final. Anže Lanišek won, with Ren Nikaidō second and Domen Prevc third. Poland’s 18‑year‑old Kacper Tomasiak reached the final and finished 18th, while Aleksander Zniszczoł, Paweł Wąsek and Kamil Stoch ended their days in the 40s.

Persistent weather troubles at Ruka are not new; similar wind issues affected last year’s event, which also had to be shortened to a single round.