Germany's Haefele sweeps in women's ski jumping
Germany's Anna Haefele competes in the FIS-Continental-Cup Ladies Ski Jumping Competition at the Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, on Friday, Dec. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Deseret News, Laura Seitz) By DOUG ALDEN AP Sports Writer
PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Germany's Anna Haefele swept the first leg of the Continental Cup winter season on Friday for her first two victories on the women's international ski jumping circuit. The jumping was rescheduled from Friday and Saturday nights to two competitions packed into one day because of severe weather expected to hit Utah later this weekend. Haefele won in the afternoon by edging American Lindsey Van on her home hill at Utah Olympic Park, then won again on a clear, frigid night with jumps of 93 and 94 meters and a total score of 240.5 points. Nata de Leeuw of Canada was second (237) and Germany's Ulrike Graessler moved up to third (236) with a 98-meter jump on her final attempt, 3 1/2 meters longer than the second-longest of the day. Haefele, who had never placed higher than second in a Continental Cup event, was in third place after the opening round Friday afternoon. She scored 110.5 points with an 89-meter jump on her second attempt to take over first place, then watched as Van and first-round leader Jacqueline Seifriedsberger of Austria came up short on the final two jumps. Haefele finished with a total of 226.5 points for both jumps in the afternoon competition. "It was a little surprise for me. I don't know. I had no special feelings. I just thought 'Do your thing. Jump,'" said Haefele, who was No. 34 in the Continental Cup standings entering this weekend. Van has been trying to recover from microfracture surgery on her right knee in March. She aggravated the knee this fall and stayed off skis for two months before jumping again on Friday. She opened with 92 meters in the first round and was one point behind Seifriedsberger, but she went 87 meters on the second jump and couldn't overtake Haefele. "The jumps were mediocre. Nothing too great. Nothing too shabby," said Van, who was second with 223 points. Seifriedsberger finished third (222.5). The tour resumed Friday after a two-month break. The first 10 competitions were on the plastic surface and Friday was the skiers' first chance to jump on snow. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. |
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