Ski jumper Abi Strate wins World Cup silver medal in Japan

Canada’s Abi Strate won a silver medal at a women's ski jumping World Cup event in Sapporo, Japan on Saturday.

The 24-year-old from Calgary climbed the podium in the women’s large hill competition, following up on a bronze-medal performance in a normal hill event earlier in the week in Zao, Japan.

“I’m really happy to get silver in Sapporo because it is a hill that I’ve struggled on for years,” Strate said in a release. “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 posted the top jump of the final round, a 130.0-metre effort to finish with a combined score of 273.9 points. That was enough to secure her fourth World Cup podium of the season and the ninth of her career.

“Every jump this week was a small improvement,” Strate said. “It really felt like a training session, and I’m proud of how strong I was mentally. My coaches played a huge role in that.”

Slovenia’s Nika Prevc won gold with 279.4 points, while Norway’s Anna Odine Strøm (260.3) claimed bronze.

Fellow Canadian Nicole Maurer, of Calgary, finished 37th and did not advance to the final round.

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Strate is set to make her second Olympic appearance in February in Italy.

She finished 23rd in the individual normal hill event and earned bronze in the mixed team event at the 2022 Games.

“This week was a really good start,” Strate said. “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.”

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