COC L/M: Geragthy-Moats and Fletcher sweep to Steamboat wins
Dec 15, 2018·Nordic Combined
Hometown hero Taylor Fletcher (USA) and Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA) swept to wins in the opening round of the FIS Continental Cup tour in Steamboat Springs Friday.
A record nine nations took part in the first women’s Continental Cup in North America. It was the second straight major international victory for Geraghty-Moats, who won a Summer Grand Prix last August in Germany to emerge as one of the fledgling sport’s early stars. Ladies' Nordic Combined is on a hopeful pathway to the Olympics, with a Continental Cup tour that began a year ago and presence at the World Championships beginning in 2021.
Geraghty-Moats was third in the morning jumping round on the HS75 meter jump at Steamboat’s Howelsen Hill behind leader Veronica Gianmoena of Italy, who showed a 66 metre effort that took her to 105.4 points and a sharted start time with runner-up Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR). The Norwegian set the longest jump of the day with 69 metres and accumulated 105.3 points for her efforts.
A 65 metre jump had Geraghty-Moats starting the 5 km cross-country race seven seconds back, followed by last winter's COC winner Stefaniya Nadymova from Russia. Nadymova did not hit an ideal jump and had to contend with a delay of 21 seconds.
Tara Geragthy-Moats quickly took the lead in the race and stormed around the course to built a 47 second margin over second place Gyda Westvold Hansen of Norway. Stefaniya Nadymova and Veronica Gianmoena battled throught the entire race and in the end, it was the Russian veteran that was the last little bit stronger to claim the remaining podium position, +01:16.4 behind Geraghty-Moats.
Ida Marie Hagen (NOR), Sophia Maurus (GER), Annika Malacinksi (USA), Tess Arnone (USA), Annamaija Oinas (FIN) and teammate Pinja Koivisto completed the Top Ten.
In the men’s event, Japan’s Ryota Yamamoto took the lead on the jump, soaring 74.5 meters for the long ride of the day. His teammate Hidefumi Denda was second with a 71 metre jump (122.6 p.), followed by Austrian Christian Deuschl (72 m, 121.4 p.). The jumping event gave the best jumper of the field a 23-second head start on his teammate, Deuschl competed with a start delay of 28 seconds.
Taylor Fletcher came from behind in the 10k cross country, starting in 11th position, a minute and three seconds back. In typical Taylor Fletcher manner, the 28-year-old blasted through the field, moving up quickly and pulling along a pair of fast Austrians, Paul Gerstgraser and Bernhard Flaschberger, who proved to be the strongest pair in a bigger chasing group of fast skiers.
In the end, Fletcher prevailed by 15.3 seconds, making the Steamboat Friday into an American glory day. Gerstgraser and Flaschberger battled over the second position with Gerstgraser finishing 0.7 seconds earlier than his teammate. With Norways Lars Buraas, Italian Lukas Runggaldier and Austrian Thomas Jöbstl, three of the other fast skiers of the field entered the Top Ten as well on positions four, five and six. Jared Shumate (USA), Julian Schmid (GER), Jasper Good (USA) and David Welde (GER) completed the Top Ten.
Final Results
Ski Jumping Results
It was the first of four Continental Cups in the USA. Action resumes Saturday at Steamboat Springs with a second event before the tour moves to Park City, Utah for a pair of competitions next Wednesday and Thursday.
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