August 03, 2014 (Park City, Utah) – In a strong and spirited competition on the K-134m ski jump here in Park City, Utah, Christian Friberg (St. Paul, MN) took his first-ever National Senior crown to win the US Ski Jumping Large Hill National Championships at Utah Olympic Park.

Friberg © USASJ

In the US-only class, second place went to two-time US Olympian Nick Alexander (Lebanon, NH) while third place went to Kevin Bickner (NORGE SC), who has only recently moved to Park City to be part of the USASJ’s residency program. They were followed by US Olympic veterans Anders Johnson and Bryan Fletcher.

Christian Friberg had a pair of jumps of 130 and 126.5 for total points of 260.7 to secure the win. Alexander had jumps of 127 and 126 meters for 245.9 points.

Men's podium © USASJ

Friberg has been making sustained progress and it showed today. It was only a month ago he placed a strong 9th in a Men’s FIS Cup in Villach, Austria. The USASJ News Bureau talked with Friberg following the competition who called the result another step forward. “I have been moving forward and making steady progress this Summer. I felt really relaxed today and the jumps were good ones. It went really well.” In several weeks a US squad will travel to their European home-base of Kranj, SLO to take part in a host of COC events.

Taking the women’s title today was Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT). Canadian Olympic men’s jumper Matt Rowley finished second in the men’s overall results but is not included in the results for the US National Championships.

Click here for a few words with this year’s Large Hill National Champion, Christian Friberg.