Canadian ski jumper Abi Strate kicked off the new year in style by clinching her inaugural World Cup win on Thursday. Hailing from Calgary, the 24-year-old secured the gold medal on the large hill in Oberstdorf, Germany with a total of 268.2 points.
Strate outshone China’s Zeng Ping by a margin of 10.5 points, as Zeng settled for second place with 257.7 points, closely followed by Germany’s Selina Freitag with 257.3 points.
Expressing her elation, Strate remarked, “This has always been my ultimate goal. I had my doubts, but I never stopped pursuing it. I finally achieved it.” She had previously secured the second spot in Oberstdorf two years ago.
Reflecting on her performance, Strate highlighted her affinity for the German terrain, stating, “I seem to perform well on German hills. During the initial training jump today, I ranked third without any difficulties. The inrun is crucial for me, and this particular one allows me to find my comfort zone effortlessly.”
Following a seventh-place finish in Garmisch-Partenkirchen the day before, Strate attributed her success to the unwavering support of her coaching team based in Slovenia. This victory marked her eighth podium finish in the World Cup and the third of the season.
Sharing her insights, Strate admitted, “Today was a pleasant surprise for me. I struggled a bit this winter, feeling the pressure after my early season podiums. The coaches and I devised a plan to return to training and refine my jumps, which helped me relax and perform better.”
Maintaining a significant 15-point lead heading into the final round, Strate impressed the spectators with a remarkable jump of 136 meters, earning 146.1 points on her first attempt. She described her flawless performance, emphasizing the importance of a relaxed mindset and flawless execution.
Notably, Strate had previously won two silver medals in big hill jumping events in Lillehammer, Norway, and Wisla, Poland, as well as an Olympic test event in Predazzo, Italy. She was part of the historic Canadian team that won a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the Beijing Olympics in 2022. The large hill competition is set to make its Olympic debut at Milano-Cortina in February.
