OPA: Nowak and Vermeulen with double victories

Jenny Nowak and Mika Vermeulen have been the dominant athletes of the OPA Alpencup weekend in Hinterzarten and Schonach. 65 men and 10 ladies started on the HS 108 Adlerschanze in Hinterzarten, with the men skiing a 10 and a 5 km race and the ladies going the distances of 5 and 2.5 km.

Jenny Nowak continues to dominate the Ladies’ Nordic Combined scene. Also on the normal hill in Hinterzarten, the biggest one that a ladies’ event for Nordic Combined use yet, Nowak proved to be the best at combining ski jumping and cross-country skiing. While having to make up 20 seconds on jumping winner Annika Sieff from Italy on the first day, Nowak was the fastest skier on the 5 km track and won with an advantage of 41.9 seconds. Sieff finished second before her teammate Daniela Dejori.

On the second day, Nowak won even clearer, dominating the jumping event by jumping more than 10 metres more than her competitors and finishing two minutes and 13 seconds ahead of France’s Lena Brocard. Annika Sieff was third, +2:22 behind Nowak.

Mika Vermeulen managed a similar masterpiece, even though his victories were closer than Nowaks. On the first day, Vermeulen skied to the win from the 36th place  by setting the fastest cross-country time. Maximilian Pfordte was second, +3.9 seconds behind Vermeulen, Mael Tyrode finished third (+30.1).

On the second day, Vermeulen only had 5 km to catch up with the jumping leaders but started with bib number 19, so that his victory was again by 3.9 seconds, this time on teammate Samuel Mraz. Johannes Lamparter completed the Austrian podium sweep by finishing 6.4 seconds after Vermeulen.