Križnar sets Lahti hill record for a win
Ski jumper Nika Križnar. Photo: Jure Makovec/STA
Slovenia has proved to be a ski-jumping powerhouse yet again this season. Nika Križnar won the women's Ski Jumping World Cup event in Finland's Lahti with a new hill record on 1 March.
The 23-year-old soared to the 127-metre mark in the first round to set a new hill record, and then improving it to 131.5 metres in the second.
The Slovenian collected 254.1 points to climb to the top of the podium ahead of two Austrians - Jacqueline Seifriedsberger (-7.6 points) and Eva Pinkelnig (-14.3 points).
"I couldn't have imagined yesterday that it would be like this today. I'm very happy, overjoyed and also emotional. I'm glad I made it today," Križnar told the International Ski Federation after her first win this season, shedding tears of joy.
It is her sixth individual World Cup career win, but she clinched the previous one almost two years ago.
Her teammate Nika Prevc finished 10th with 220.3 points to keep her overall World Cup lead.
In the Nations Cup, Austria are still in the lead (3,021 points) ahead of Slovenia, who trail them by 354 points seven events to go to the end of the season. The Japanese team is third (1,876 points).
In a great day for Slovenian jumpers, Lovro Kos also won the men's competition in Lahti.
The successful performances by Slovenians this season augur well for the finale in Planica, which this year will host both female and male jumpers.
