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Katharina Althaus in Wisla, Poland
Photo:
IMAGO/GEPA pictures/ Wrofoto/ Piotr Hawalej / IMAGO/GEPA pictures
Katharina Althaus flew onto the podium at the World Cup in Wisla after a strong race to catch up and ensured the first German top result of the ski jumping winter.
On the second day of the earliest start in World Cup history, the 26-year-old from Oberstdorf was only beaten by Austrian Eva Pinkelnig in second place.
In the first competition on the plastic covered hill, Althaus was still disappointing as 21st.
»Especially after yesterday, today I was doubly nervous and a little insecure.
Now I'm really happy about the podium," said Althaus: "It can go on like this."
Althaus, who suffered her worst World Cup result in almost seven years in Poland on Saturday, jumped 123.0 and 131.0 meters and worked her way up from sixth to second place with 251.4 points.
For the two-time Olympic silver medalist, it was the 38th podium finish of her career, missing about six meters from her ninth victory.
Pinkelnig scored 262.3 points (129.0+126.0) in her fourth World Cup success, third place went to Sweden's Frida Westman (248.7).
Selina Freitag (Aue), the best German the day before when she was 19th when Norwegian Silje Opseth won, came in the same place on Sunday.
Norway's top jumper Maren Lundby celebrated a mixed return after a year and a half's break from competitions, coming in 16th and 24th.
The Pyeongchang Olympic champion and two-time world champion skipped the past Olympic season.
Because the world association FIS wanted to avoid the start of the football World Cup, which begins on November 20th, it scheduled the first competitions of the season earlier than ever.
In Poland, men and women jumped without artificial snow, like at the Summer Grand Prix, on mats and with an ice track.
At the following stations in Kuusamo (men/November 26th and 27th) and Lillehammer (women/December 3rd and 4th) the snow will celebrate its season debut.
ara/sid