15:42. Never before had an Austrian won a World Cup race. Katharina Gruber had never been on the podium. But the 17 year-old combined thwarted all the predictions to win the mass-start in Trondheim (Norway) on Saturday 6 December.
In her 7th World Cup start, she finished 13th in the cross-country skiing event in the morning. But on the springboard in the afternoon, she simply flew. 97 metres recorded: no one has ever come close to such a mark. Not even Finland’s Heta Hirvonen (94.5 m) or Norway’s Ingrid Laate (93 m).
First surprised by her result, she was very moved when she realised that she would be on the podium and that she would win. She confirmed this to the organisers: “I can’t believe it. I’m so moved! It’s a dream come true, the only thing I’ve ever wanted.
Katharina Gruber finished with a margin over her rivals. Her closest pursuer – Norway’s Ida Marie Hagen, who flew over the bottom – was pushed back 8.7 points. Germany’s Nathalie Armbruster, holder of the overall title, rounded off the podium with a solid jump to 93.5m. Further back, Heta Hirvonen also made a big comeback. 25th after the bottom, she finally finished 7th. After her ordeal on skis in the morning, Ingrid Laate took 8th place.
On the French side, Léna Brocard lacked stability in the run-up and only landed at 78.5m. As a result, she dropped from 14th to 17th place. Despite this, she was ahead of her compatriots Marion Droz-Vincent (75 m, 24th) and Romane Baud (75.5 m, 27th).
The full rankings
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Read also
- Trondheim: Ida Marie Hagen dominates Nathalie Armbruster in season-opening sprint
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- Trondheim: Marco Heinis in the top 10 of a pocket jump dominated by an Austrian quadruple
- The French eight at the Trondheim World Cup
