Tara Geraghty-Moats is the winner of the Nordic Combined Women’s World Cup premiere, celebrating a historic victory. The U.S. American, who was on rank six after the jumping round with a disadvantage auf 39 seconds showed a very strong cross-country performance and placed herself 1.5 seconds ahead of Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen and 13 seconds ahead of Anju Nakamura from Japan.
The jumping round went to Gyda Westvold Hansen. The 18-year-old Norwegian jumped to 94.5 metres and a total number of 125.8 points and challenged the other competitors. Just like the day before the Italian team was able to show a very strong jumping performance. Veronica Gianmoena was second with a jump to 91 metres (119.2 points); 26 seconds behind Westvold Hansen, third place went to Anju Nakamura from Japan (90.5 metres, 118.5 points).
Former ski jumper Claudia Purker (91 metres, 117.3 points), Sigrun Kleinrath (91.5 metres, 116.3 points) and Geraghty-Moats followed on rank four, five and six. In general, the women fascinated their audience on TV with some great jumps, with a total number of 13 athletes starting the cross-country race within one minute.
Westvold Hansen was able to defend her lead on the first lap, while Geraghty-Moats and Nakamura made their way to the top three already after 0.8 kilometres. On a long climb in the beginning of the second lap, 27-year-old Geraghty-Moats was not only able to put a few metres between herself and Nakamura, but also took over the lead from Westvold Hansen. Even though the young Norwegian was able to stay with the American throughout the race, Geraghty-Moats would not let the 18-year old pass by again. In the end, she crossed the finish line 1.5 seconds ahead of Westvold-Hansen and 13 seconds ahead of Nakamura.
Behind the top three athletes Norway’s Marte Leinan Lund made her way from rank 12 after jumping to the fourth place in the end. Local heroes Sigrun Kleinrath and Lisa Hirner completed the top six. Rank 7 went to Mari Leinan Lund, Veronica Gianmoena was 8th, the 9th place went to PCR-Winner Annika Sieff and Anastasia Goncharova from Russia, who won the photo finish against Norway’s Hanna Midtsundstad, completed the Top Ten.