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LILLEHAMMER: Norwegian jumpers are tired of training. On Saturday Maren Lundby won a postponed NM, but should have skipped the World Cup.
Maren Lundby (left) and Silje Opseth think it is unfair that the boys can travel and compete while their races are mostly canceled or postponed. Photo: Geir Olsen, NTB
Actually, the race at Lysgårdsbakken should have been the opening of the World Cup for female jumpers. Instead, it was a Norwegian championship that should have been held in March.
Maren Lundby won. It is not unexpected. Silje Opseth was close, but this time she couldn’t beat one of the world’s best in ski jumping either. For Maren Lundby, the start of the season was marked by training after a knee injury. She has struggled with the so-called jumper’s knee.
– If it’s a year where you should be injured, then it’s this year, he said after it was all over. Training his knee has given him peace of mind.
Will come out and jump
But now she is tired of exercising. He wants to compete against the best in the world. But you have few opportunities for that. Five rounds of the World Cup have already been canceled. But in 14 days it will be internationally serious. Then the World Cup begins in Ramsau, Austria. But then it will be five weeks until the next race.
– We have prepared very well for this season, and then it becomes a bit demotivating that it has become like now. We have to start a new training period while the boys can travel and have fun with the competitions, he says.
Both she and Saturday’s silver winner Silje Opseth believe they have been given priority.
– It seems that we are the ones who have the priority when it has become what it has become. It’s boring and in a way unfair, Lundby tells Aftenposten.
I do not understand
Silje Opseth was Norway’s second best jumper on Saturday. But like Lundby, he wants to go out there and compete against the best in the world.
– We should be happy to hang on. But at the same time we see that the boys compete every weekend. We have worked as much and as hard as the post-closing. I don’t understand why there is such a big difference between boys and girls here, he says.
Ski President Erik Røste is on the board of the International Ski Federation (FIS). Understand that Norwegian female jumpers are disappointed. They have tried to get more races.
– I think everyone agrees that ideally there should be more races. But the infection situation and various national regulations make it difficult. The FIS race director has a demanding job and tries to find solutions within the rules that apply. And now there will be a race in Ramsau in two weeks, Røste tells Aftenposten.
Maren Lundby on her way through Lysgårdsbakken and her sixth NM gold. Photo: Geir Olsen, NTB
Delayed impact
The hard-fought knee has brought some changes for the 26-year-old from Toten. Initially, Lundby should try stepping with his right foot rather than his left to reduce the stress on his sore knee. She has been training all fall. But you are still waiting a bit before changing method.
– I have to start challenging myself on this, she says.
And he has good opportunities to train on the impact in the coming weeks. Norwegian show jumping girls have not participated in international competitions since March 10. There has been training and terping.
– It’s a bit difficult, of course, but I just have to focus on myself and develop as a jumper. That is the only thing we can do now.
Maren Lundby and Silje Opseth were in a class of their own during Saturday’s race. But what it would have been like in a competition against the best in the world, they have no idea. Lundby is not sure she won with the best in the world. Coach Christian Meyer thinks he was on top.
– They both had a good jump. I think they should step up before we talk about how fit they are to take the World Cup medals, says Meyer.
It is also troublesome to operate almost as in a vacuum.
– We know what we have done ourselves, but we have no idea how the rest of the field has developed. There is a lot of excitement for the first race of the World Cup, says the coach.
Big hill at the World Cup
Girls with ski jumping have had to fight for every opportunity. First, there was talk of being allowed to skip competitions. The last game that they have used to be able to jump championships on the big hill.
At the Oberstdorf WC later this winter, the girls will also compete on the big hill. Maren Lundby knows what you are looking for.
“I still have the main objective of winning on both tracks in the World Cup,” says the only Norwegian.
