Canadian ski jumper Abi Strate landed a silver medal at the large hill event in Lillehammer, Norway, during her World Cup season opener. Strate, a Calgary native, achieved distances of 129 and 121 meters, accumulating 259.7 points over the two rounds. The gold was secured by Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama with 285.5 points, while Lisa Eder of Austria claimed the bronze with 255.4 points. Another Canadian athlete, Nicole Mauer, finished in 22nd place with 205.3 points.
Reflecting on her success, Strate expressed her satisfaction, stating, “Not a bad start. It feels really good. I can’t believe this is the life I’m living right now. I’ve faced challenges in this sport for a long time, admiring top athletes, and now I find myself regularly among them. It feels comfortable but surreal.”
This marked the sixth time Strate has graced a World Cup podium and equaled her career-best performance from nearly two years ago in Obertsdorf, Germany. She highlighted the significance of a relaxed mindset in her jumps, aiming to focus solely on training goals. Strate acknowledged feeling stressed during the competition but found fulfillment in her performance, emphasizing the joy of seeing her coaches happy and celebrating alongside her.
The achievement in Lillehammer sets a strong foundation for Strate in an Olympic year, following her involvement in Canada’s historic bronze medal-winning team at the Beijing Olympics in 2022. The large hill event is set to make its Olympic debut at Milano-Cortina in February, adding to Strate’s notable win at an Olympic test event in Predazzo, Italy, this past September.