Weekend Preview: World Cups & Ski Flying World Championships (Jan. 25-28)

Park City, Utah (January 24, 2024) – The 2024 Ski Flying World Championships will be held this weekend in Kulm Bad Mitterndorf/Tauplitz, Austria, from January 25-28. Women’s Ski Jumping will then compete in two individual World Cup events in Ljubno, Slovenia, from January 26-28. Men’s and Women’s Nordic Combined will continue the “German Trophy” tournament, as athletes will compete in two individual World Cup competitions from January 26-28 in Schonach, Germany.

Athletes Competing in FIS Ski Flying World Championships
Men’s Ski Jumping – Kulm Bad Mitterndorf/Tauplitz, Austria: Andrew Urlaub, Decker Dean, Erik Belshaw, Kevin Bickner, Tate Frantz

Athletes Competing in World Cup Circuit
Women’s Ski Jumping – Ljubno, Slovenia: Annika Belshaw, Paige Jones, Sam Macuga

Men’s Nordic Combined – Schonach, Germany: Ben Loomis, Grant Andrews, Niklas Malacinski, Stephen Schumann

Women’s Nordic Combined – Schonach, Germany: Annika Malacinski, Alexa Brabec

Ski Flying World Championships Preview – Men’s Ski Jumping
This year’s FIS Ski Flying World Championships team features four U.S. Ski Jumping Team men’s athletes. This will be the second Ski Flying World Championships for Decker Dean, after competing in Planica, Slovenia, in 2020. Andrew Urlaub, Erik Belshaw and Tate Frantz have earned their first-ever Ski Flying World Championships team nominations.

Belshaw currently has the highest world ranking out of all United States ski jumping athletes, ranked 47th, scoring World Cup points once this season after finishing 24th in the HS142 event in Ruka, Finland. Urlaub and Frantz have scored World Cup points one time each this season, with Urlaub 27th in the HS98 event in Lillehammer, Norway and Frantz 30th in the HS142 event in Ruka. These four national team athletes will be joined by ski jumping veteran, Kevin Bickner. Bickner represented the United States at the 2018 FIS Ski Flying World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, placing 24th overall in the HS235 World Championship. Bickner is the current national record holder for ski flying, jumping to 244.5 meters in 2017 during the HS225 World Cup in Vikersund, Norway. (From – “U.S. Ski Jumping Team Announces 2024 Ski Flying World Championships Team“)

Women’s Ski Jumping Preview
Annika Belshaw, Paige Jones and Sam Macuga will represent Women’s Ski Jumping at the World Cup events in Ljubno, Slovenia, with competition being held from January 26-28. Last weekend, all three athletes competed at the World Cup events in Zao, Japan. The Individual HS102 World Cup was then held on January 19th. In the first round, Jones went 77.0 meters for 74.8 points, placing 36th overall. Belshaw was right behind in 38th, as she put together a 79.5 meter jump for 74.5 points. Macuga rounded things off in 40th, jumping to 67.5 meters for 56.0 points, as all three athletes were unable to advance to the final round. The next event was the Super Team HS102 World Cup on January 20th, with Belshaw and Jones competing for the United States. The duo placed 8th overall, after totaling 587.7 total points after three rounds of action. The final events of the weekend were set to be held on January 21st, but due to inclement weather, the HS102 Qualification and Individual HS102 World Cup were cancelled, ending Women’s Ski Jumping’s time in Zao, Japan.

Men’s Nordic Combined Preview
Ben Loomis, Grant Andrews, Niklas Malacinski and Stephen Schumann will compete at the World Cup events in Schonach, Germany, from January 26-28. All four athletes last competed January 12-14, at the World Cup events in Oberstdorf, Germany. In the HS106/10km World Cup on January 13th, Loomis placed 27th overall, with Malacinski close behind in 29th. Schumann finished the 10km in 36th place, with Andrews coming in 49th. The final World Cup of the weekend came on Sunday, January 14th, as athletes competed in the Compact HS106/7.5km. Loomis placed 25th overall, with Schumann skiing up to finish 27th overall. Malacinski then placed 37th overall, with Grant Andrews rounding things out in 52nd, as Men’s Nordic Combined ended their weekend in Oberstdorf.

Women’s Nordic Combined Preview
Alexa Brabec and Annika Malacinski will represent the United States at the Women’s Nordic Combined World Cup competitions in Schonach, Germany, from January 26-28. In the HS106/5km World Cup on January 13th, Malacinski placed 12th overall, with Brabec coming in at 19th overall. The final event of the weekend took place on Sunday, January 14th, as athletes participated in the Compact HS106/5km World Cup. Malacinski was able to record her second 12th place finish of the weekend, with Brabec placing 14th overall. This was the fifth top fifteen finish for Malacinski this season, and the first top fifteen finish for Brabec of her career, along with a new World Cup personal best of 14th overall.

How to Watch

All Times Eastern Standard Time

Thursday, January 25th

  • 8:00am EST – FIS Ski Flying World Championships HS235 Qualification – Kulm Bad Mitterndorf/Tauplitz, Austria, Steaming on Peacock

Friday, January 26th

  • FIS Ski Jumping World Cup Women’s HS94 Qualification – Ljubno, Slovenia, Live Results on FIS
  • FIS Nordic Combined World Cup Men’s HS100/10km PCR – Schonach, Germany, Live Results on FIS
  • FIS Nordic Combined World Cup Women’s HS100/5km PCR – Schonach, Germany, Live Results on FIS
  • 8:00am EST – FIS Ski Flying World Championships Individual HS235 (Rounds 1 & 2) – Kulm Bad Mitterndorf/Tauplitz, Austria, Steaming on Peacock

Saturday, January 27th

Sunday, January 28th

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