(December 23, 2024) – The Engelberg weekend started with the men’s qualification. Kevin Bickner had an exceptional qualification claiming a podium finish in third place. The question remained: could he carry that momentum into Saturday’s competition? Tate Frantz and Erik Belshaw also advanced to Saturday’s competition, finishing 47th and 48th. Saturday began with the women’s event, featuring both qualification and two to count. Sam Macuga, Paige Jones, and Josie Johnson got through to the competition round finishing in 40th, 29th and 28th place. The men’s event took place in the evening, with Kevin Bickner narrowly missing the second round, finishing in 34th place. Tate Frantz and Erik Belshaw rounded out the team’s results, placing 42nd and 47th.
Sunday brought a packed schedule, with athletes set to tackle both qualification and competition rounds once again. However, the unpredictable weather forced early adjustments. The men began with their qualification round, followed by the women’s competition—held without a qualification round—before returning to the men for their final qualification.Heavy rain settled in during the men’s qualification, causing delays but not halting the action. Despite the challenging conditions, Larson, Frantz, Urlaub, and Bickner advanced to the evening’s competition.The women’s competition faced multiple delays due to shifting weather conditions, with rain turning to snow and gusty winds disrupting the schedule. After some hill maintenance and a brief window of improved weather, the event finally got underway.
Most athletes completed the first round, but competition came to a halt when heavy snow returned during the final five jumpers. Ultimately, the event was canceled. Notably, Paige Jones was in position to advance to the second round before the cancellation.The men’s competition fared slightly better, with only one delay interrupting the schedule. Kevin Bickner advanced to the second round, finishing the day in 29th place. Next on deck is Four Hills Tournament for the men, featuring Obersdorf and Garmisch in Germany; then on to Innsbruck and Bischofshofen in Austria, December 28 through January 6. The women will take on The Two Night Tour featuring Garmisch and Oberstdorf, Germany December 30 and January 1.
Happy Holiday’s from USA Ski Jumping Team!
USA Ski Jumping
