Abi Strate, a Canadian ski jumper, achieved a remarkable feat by clinching a silver medal at the World Cup season opener in Lillehammer, Norway. The athlete from Calgary showcased her skills in the large hill event, covering distances of 129 and 121 meters to accumulate 259.7 points over the competition’s two rounds.
Securing the gold was Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama with 285.5 points, while Lisa Eder of Austria claimed the bronze with a score of 255.4 points. Another Canadian athlete, Nicole Mauer, finished in 22nd place with a total of 205.3 points.
Reflecting on her achievement, Strate expressed her satisfaction with the performance, stating, “Not a bad start. It feels really good. I can’t really process that this is the life I’m living right now. I’ve struggled in this sport for so long. I always look at the top athletes with so much awe, and now I’m up there regularly with them. Yes, it feels comfortable right now, but it’s insane.”
This marked the sixth time that Strate has graced a World Cup podium in her career, matching her career-best silver medal performance in Germany two years ago. Describing her experience, Strate mentioned, “My qualifying jump was the best one. I was the most relaxed and calm. In today’s competition, there was some stress in the air. I could have opened up and flown a little further, but I’m just trying to put myself in the mindset of training. That’s always the goal, just focus on the jumps and get them as good as I can.”
Strate emphasized the joy of finishing a competition day on a high note, noting, “I was a bit stressed today, but it is the best feeling in the world to finish a day and say you did a good job and see your coaches smiling and everyone celebrating. It is very fulfilling because I also know the feeling of finishing a day and feeling completely disappointed.”
The silver medal win in Lillehammer sets a strong foundation for Strate in an Olympic year, following her participation in Canada’s historic bronze-medal-winning mixed team event in Beijing in 2022. With the large hill competition set to debut at the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February, Strate’s performance signals her readiness for the upcoming challenges. Additionally, she previously secured victory at an Olympic test event in Predazzo, Italy, in September.
Calgary’s Abigail Strate has once again showcased her talent, positioning herself as a formidable competitor in the ski jumping world.