Protest against ski jumping club: record woman cancels World Cup final in Planica

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Norway’s new ski flying world record holder, Silje Opseth (24), has decided not to participate in the World Cup finals in Planica in protest against unequal treatment. Raw Air winner Eirin Marie Kvandal (22) will also not participate in Slovenia. Reason for the anger of the top jumpers: While the men in Planica are allowed to participate in three competitions from the large flying hill, the women feel they are being fobbed off with one jump from the small normal hill.

“We are basically trampled and have no great value,” Opseth told the daily newspaper Dagbladet: “The boys get to ski and fly and do the coolest things in the world, and we are on the smallest ski jump. I have to be honest: that is disappointing.”

Tens of thousands of fans are expected to celebrate their pilots at the traditional season farewell party in the “Valley of Ski Jumps” on the weekend – on Thursday, after the men have qualified, the women will be allowed to join the support program.

Instead, a trip to Thailand is on the agenda

Opseth, who on Sunday in Vikersund raised the world record for the first women’s flying in World Cup history to 230.5 m after a painful fall during training (“This is a childhood dream come true”), was already on holiday with her parents in Thailand. She won’t cancel this now.

The women’s jumping in Planica was planned at short notice by the world federation FIS to replace the two canceled normal hill jumping competitions in Rasnov/Romania in February. The end of the season was originally scheduled for last Sunday in Vikersund. Slovenian Nika Prevc has already been confirmed as the overall World Cup winner. (AFP/dti)

Source : Blick