Fresh from their delayed New Year celebrations, the women’s field will return to World Cup action with a double-header in Villach, Austria, across 5-6 January.
55 ski jumpers took on the ‘Two Night Tour’ double across Garmisch-Partenkichen and Oberstdof in Germany from 31 December to 1 January, with Nika Prevc (SLO) successfully defending her title.
Anna Odine Stroem (NOR), who placed second in Oberstorf (GER), described it as an “intense, challenging, but fun,” couple of days. She is now among those looking to now push on with her World Cup campaign and climb up the overall rankings in Villach (AUT).
It will be just the third season in history that the HS98 Normal Hill has hosted women’s FIS Ski Jumping World Cup action, with Eva Pinkelnig (AUT) and Prevc claiming double successes in each of the previous campaigns.
After the Slovenian’s latest Two Nights Tour successes the 2023/24 Crystal Globe winner is just 16 points behind two-time Olympic silver medalist and current leader Katharina Schmid (GER).
Prevc, a three-time World junior champion, won the first World Cup event of the season in Lillehammer (NOR), before her German rival prevailed 24 hours later.
19-year-old Prevc had placed a surprise 11th in that second event, allowing Schmid to take the overall lead, which she would further extend by claiming a Zhangjiakou double in mid-December.
Since then, though, Prevc has produced unrivalled form, claiming three successive victories.
The teenager prefers not to speak about her specific targets in terms of future titles, but is clearly hoping to maintain the form she has shown in recent weeks, heading into 2025.
“I haven’t set any goals for this year,” insists Prevc. “But for this season I hope I continue this jumping and achieve good results in the future.”
Eirin Maria Kvandal (NOR), who was second in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) and currently third in the overall standings, has opted against heading to Austria.
She will instead continue her preparations for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, which take place in her homeland, Trondheim (NOR), between 26 Feb to 9 March.
The World Championship bronze medalist will be based in Granåsen, Norway, in the coming weeks before returning to the World Cup tour for events in Japan – Sapporo (17-19 Jan) and Zao (23-26 Jan) later this month.
05.01.2025 – 11:15 – Start Qualification – QUA Women's NH
05.01.2025 – 16:20 – Competition start – WC Women's NH
Villach (AUT) – HS98
06.01.2025 – 13:00 – Start Qualification – QUA Women's NH
06.01.2025 – 14:20 – Competition start – WC Women's NH
*All listings are in Central European Time (CET) and are subject to change.
Villach World Cup Facts & Figures
The Austrian venue hosted an FIS Ski Jumping World Cup for the first time back in 1995, for men, with women debuting on the hill for the first time in their World Cup programme in the 2022/23 season.
Eva Pinkelnig (AUT) delighted home fans with two victories in the venue’s debut as part the women’s circuit, with Nika Prevc (SLO) claiming the double last season, just ahead of Pinkelnig, who was second twice.
The current women’s hill record – of 100.5m – was set by Nika Križnar (SLO) in 2018 during an FIS Cup event. The highest distance travelled in a World Cup competition was achieved by Nika Prevc, who recorded 97m, in January 2024.
