COC-M: Gerstgraser wins on second day in Planica
Jan 27, 2019·Nordic Combined
At 9.30 this morning, the Nordic Combined athletes returned to the Bloudek giant hill for the second Continental Cup competition in Planica, Slovenia.
Just like 24 hours ago, the top spot was taken by Austria’s Christian Deuschl who landed at 137.0 metres and gathered 137.5 points. That meant a 15-second advantage on his closest competitor, Sindre Ure Soetvik of Norway (133.0 m., 133.7 p.), before the second part of the competition.
The next three athletes on the result list also came from Norway. Petter Loeset Skodjereite (129.0 m., 133.1 p.) trailed 18 seconds and both Leif Torbjørn Næsvold and Harald Johnas Riiber trailed by 58 seconds. The best Slovenian jumper was Marjan Jelenko, who finished on the 9th place and started his cross-country race a minute and 18 seconds after the leader.
The last lap of the race turned into a nailbiter, as nine athletes entered the last 2,5-kilometres together. But in the end, Austria’s Paul Gerstgraser switched to a higher gear and comfortably took the victory ahead of his teammate Thomas Joebstl. Gerstgraser who was 17th after the jumping round crossed the finish line 7.8 seconds before Joebstl. Riiber managed to take the third place with a 12.4 second lag behind the winner.
The Continental Cup continues in less than two-weeks’ time in Eisenerz, Austria.
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