Canada’s Abi Strate clinched a silver medal at a women’s ski jumping World Cup event held in Sapporo, Japan over the weekend. The 24-year-old athlete from Calgary secured her spot on the podium in the women’s large hill competition, building on her earlier bronze medal win in a normal hill event in Zao, Japan.
Expressing her joy, Strate mentioned, “I’m really happy to get silver in Sapporo because it is a hill that I’ve struggled on for years. In the past, my jumping here has been inconsistent and I’ve gotten a bit lost in my head. This year I came in determined to make friends with the hill, and that made a big difference.”
Strate’s standout performance came in the final round with a top jump of 130.0 meters, leading to a combined score of 273.9 points. This achievement marked her fourth World Cup podium finish of the season and the ninth podium of her career.
Slovenia’s Nika Prevc claimed the gold medal with 279.4 points, while Norway’s Anna Odine Strøm secured the bronze with 260.3 points. Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Nicole Maurer from Calgary finished in 37th place and did not advance to the final round.
Looking ahead, Strate is gearing up for her second Olympic appearance in February in Italy. She previously finished 23rd in the individual normal hill event and secured a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 2022 Games. Reflecting on her recent accomplishments, Strate stated, “This week was a really good start. These were my last competitions before the Games, so it’s exciting to finish on a high as we head into the final training period.”