WISLA, Pol.— Make it three podiums in a row for Canadian ski jumper, Abigail Strate, on the Summer Grand Prix.
The colourful Canuck soared to the bronze medal on Saturday – her third in as many competitions – in the women’s large hill test in Wisla, Poland.
“I was feeling a little nervous up there on the first jump. I was just trying to focus on the things my coaches told me to do,” said the 24-year-old Strate. “I actually wasn’t very satisfied with either of the jumps today. I was a little messy on the takeoffs, but they still worked out and got me on the podium so I can’t complain.”
That’s for sure.
Strate, a graphic designer when not taking flight off hills around the world, racked up 231.4 points in her two attempts on the large hill in Poland.
Slovenia’s Nika Prevc was first at 247.9, while Japan’s Nozomi Maruyama landed on the silver-medal step of the podium at 240.5 points.
Calgary’s Nicole Maurer was the only other Canadian in the deep field and placed 19th at 156.3.
Strate, who also calls Calgary home, has been soaring with confidence early this season. She opened the Olympic campaign last weekend with a bronze medal in France. It was her first career summer ski jumping podium. She delivered a golden encore, celebrating her first international victory one day later.
“I’m definitely flying with greater confidence. I knew I was training really well. My jumping has been progressing and is more consistent, so I think my whole jump is more confident than it’s ever been,” said Strate. “Each one of these successes builds on that. I’m loving ski jumping, and ski jumping is loving me right now, so the confidence just grows with each jump I take that works out. I am looking to keep it going.”
Strate is taking a new approach this season into her flight path that is headed towards the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in February.
“I decided this year I’m leaving nothing out. I’m putting everything I have into this season. Subconsciously I think I always held myself back a bit, but I’m looking to crack into my full potential this year and leave nothing out there,” added Strate, who was part of Canada’s Olympic bronze medal winning squad in the mixed-team event in 2022. “I’m taking that approach every day. I’m happy with the result and looking to improve the quality of the jumps again tomorrow.”
This is the second time in her career that Strate has rattled off three podium performances in a row.
She flew to three consecutive podium performances in 2023-24 – closing out 2023 with a bronze and silver medal before ringing in the 2024 New Year with another bronze. The only other podium finish in Strate’s eight-year career came when she won the bronze in Hinterzarten, Germany in January 2023. Three of Strate’s four medals in winter leaping have also come on large hills.
“It’s weird because I actually jump better on a 90 metre hill. I just haven’t trained as much on the large hills. Flying is where I usually make my mistakes, and when you jump on a large hill you obviously fly longer. But, when I’m jumping well it works on both,” she said. “Jumping well is about confidence, and when I’m confident, I won’t hold myself back and am willing to push myself which you have to do in a sport like this.”
Ski jumping is performed in the summer on an in-run where the tracks are made from porcelain and the grass on the slope is covered with water-soaked plastic. A core part of an athlete’s development and season-long competition schedule, summer ski jumping began in 1994 for men. Women began jumping competitively during the summer months in 2012.
Strate will launch off the HS134 hill in Poland with the best in the world once again on Sunday.
Complete Summer Grand Prix Results – Wisla, Poland
Ski Jumping Canada is the governing federation for ski jumping in Canada. It is responsible for the governance of all ski jumping competitions in Canada and for the operation of the national team. For more information, please visit skijumpingcanada.com.
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