COC-L: Tara Geraghty-Moats is the queen of the winter 2018/19
Mar 11, 2019·Nordic Combined
With ten victories in eleven events, USA’s Tara Geraghty-Moats has crowned herself the Queen of the 2018/19 Nordic Combined Continental Cup winter.
The 25-year-old also won the final event in Nizhny Tagil (RUS) and dominated the field by crossing the finish line one minute and 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Gyda Westvold Hansen from Norway. After a heavy crash in Otepää (EST), Russia’s Stefaniya Nadymova returned to competition action with a vengeance to take the third place, +1:33 behind Geraghty-Moats.
As the two days before, Geraghty-Moats laid the foundation for very victory on the jumping hill and won the last of three jumping rounds in Russia. This time, 87.5 metres (111.4 p.) carried her to the pole position for the final 5 km cross-country race. Italy’s Veronica Gianmoena claimed the second position at the start line after showing 89 metres (106 p.). Russia’s Stefaniya Nadymova and Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) were hot on Gianmoena’s heels, starting their races at +0:26 and +0:27 seconds.
In a demonstration of balance and her high level of performance, Geraghty-Moats set the fastest pace in the race as well and needed 14:59.4 to cover the 5 km distance. Anastasia Goncharova was the second fastest woman out on the track and improved from position 12 to eight. The rest of the Top Ten positions were taken by Veronica Gianmoena (4), Maria Gerboth and Jenny Nowak (5 and 6), Lisa Hirner (8) and Olga Aristova and Svetlana Gladikova.
In the overall standings, Geraghty-Moats won with a total of 1000 points, followed by Gyda Westvold-Hansen’s 760. The third place went to Germany’s Jenny Nowak (560 points.
