Park City, UT (November 25, 2024) – The weekend show started on Friday, Nov. 22, with the mixed team event. Annika Belshaw, Casey Larson, Paige Jones, and Tate Frantz suited up for the USA.
Belshaw got things rolling with her opening jump, setting a steady tone for the team. Larson followed, climbing a few spots in the standings. Jones delivered a solid effort, keeping the USA in contention. Frantz, the team’s final athlete, encountered an unfortunate setback: a broken zipper at the top of the jump. This unforeseen equipment issue meant he was not permitted to start (NPS) and could not take his jump.
Despite the adversity, the team finished in 10th place with 273.4 points.
Saturday, Nov. 23, marked the first of two individual competition days, beginning with the women’s event. Sam Macuga, Paige Jones, Josie Johnson, and Annika Belshaw took to the hill for their qualification jumps, with Jones and Belshaw advancing to the competition round. Jones delivered a solid effort but narrowly missed advancing to the second round, finishing in 32nd place. Belshaw followed closely, landing in 37th.
The men’s competition followed, featuring Andrew Urlaub, Erik Belshaw, Casey Larson, Kevin Bickner, and Tate Frantz in the qualification round. Bickner, Belshaw, and Frantz advanced to the competition. Bickner and Belshaw came up just short of the second round, placing 32nd and 37th. Frantz, however, impressed with a first-round solid jump that positioned him in ninth place. He held his ground in the second round, securing a grand top-10 finish in 10th place.
The competition mirrored Saturday’s schedule on Sunday, Nov. 24, commencing with the women. Athletes Paige Jones, Annika Belshaw, and Josie Johnson successfully advanced through the qualification round to the first round of competition. Jones delivered a commendable performance, securing a spot in the final round and finishing 29th. Belshaw and Johnson concluded their efforts in the first round, placing 37th and 39th.
On the men’s side, the team had four athletes make it out of the qualification round. Kevin Bickner, Tate Frantz, Casey Larson, and Andrew Urlaub got to put in their efforts in the competition round, with Bickner and Frantz both progressing to the second round. Bickner ultimately finished the day in 24th, receiving his first World Cup points in 4 years. Frantz doubled down and secured his second top-10 finish for the weekend.
Next up, USA Ski Jumping will travel to Ruka, Finland for next week’s World Cup competition.
