December 05, 2013 – Another exciting ladies’ Ski Jumping World Cup season will get underway this coming weekend. Norway’s Lillehammer will play host to the first event of the FIS Ski Jumping ladies’ World Cup presented by Viessmann on 6^th and 7^th December 2013. The overall World Cup champion will be crowned in Planica (SLO) at the season finals on 22^nd March 2014.

Sarah Hendrickson © Pierre Teyssot/AFP/Getty Images

This highlight of the season will be in Sochi (RUS), when ladies’ Ski Jumping makes its Olympic debut.

Reigning World Cup champion Sara Takanashi (JPN) is one of the stars to keep an eye on. During the summer, the 17-year-old also won the FIS Grand Prix, winning the last four competitions in a row.

One of the top athletes of the past winter, Coline Mattel (FRA), is also in good shape, finishing second in the FIS Grand Prix followed by Katja Pozun (SLO). It will also be interesting to see how Slovenian youngster Ema Klinec, born 1998, will do. She took her first victory in the FIS Summer Grand Prix.

Meanwhile, many other ladies are eager to fight for the podium such as Jacqueline Seifriedsberger (AUT), Atsuko Tanaka (CAN) and veteran Anette Sagen (NOR) just to name a few. Despite a knee injury suffered in August, reigning World Champion Sarah Hendrickson (USA), has not given up her dream to compete at the Olympics, nor has Canada’s Alexandra Pretorius who also suffered a serious knee injury in the summer.