Women FIS ski jumping world cup will resume competition on the normal hill in Hinzenbach, Austria, this weekend after a two-week break for World Cup points. The schedule for this season also included visits to Lahti, Finland, as well as Oslo, Trondheim, and Vikersund in Norway as part of the RAW AIR tour. This would have meant that the season for them would end on March 17, 2024, a week earlier than for the top male ski jumpers.
In an effort to allow female ski jumpers to experience the March season finale in the unforgettable setting beneath the Ponce Mountains, the Slovenian Ski Association, together with the Planica Organizing Committee, put in a great deal of effort. With the help of loyal sponsors and supporters of Slovenian Nordic sports, all stakeholders ultimately succeeded in organizing the final competition of the 13th season of the Women's Ski Jumping World Cup on the normal hill in Planica (HS102). The event is scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 21, 2024, under the lights, at 5:00 PM. Prior to that, official training sessions will be scheduled from 3:30 p.m. onwards.
In the desire for greater recognition of women's ski jumping and as a tribute to the excellent season of Slovenian female jumpers, who are competing for their second Nations Cup globe and with Nika Prevc also contending for the overall World Cup title, the Slovenian Ski Association managed to host the women's final in Planica this year. "On this occasion, I would like to thank all stakeholders who contributed to the realization of this idea. Thanks to them, we will witness the best female ski jumpers in the world in Slovenia for the second time this season. Thanks to the successes of our jumpers, it was a bit easier for us, and we wanted to hold at least one women's competition alongside the men's events in Planica," added the president of the Slovenian Ski Association, Enzo Smrekar.
With the right to host the final competition of the 13th season of the Women's Ski Jumping World Cup and the fact that Nika Prevc is currently leading the overall World Cup standings, this adds spice to this year's Planica story. This season will also mark the last appearance as a professional athlete for the greatest Slovenian ski jumper of all time, Peter Prevc, Nika's older brother. "As it stands now, this year's March Planica could be unforgettable and historic. Not just for the Prevc family, but for all ski jumping enthusiasts around the world. We all believe that both Nika and Peter will finish the season with flying colors, and together in Planica, we could witness two significant milestones in a sport that is so close to the Slovenian nation. Join us for a magical celebration beneath the Ponce Mountains to create the biggest fan atmosphere for Slovenian jumpers," added the general secretary of the Planica Organizing Committee, Tomaž Šušteršič.
The women's ski jumping competition, which will take place on the normal hill in Planica in the late afternoon on Thursday under the lights, can be attended with the same tickets used for the official training and qualifications of male jumpers in the morning at the Gorišek Brothers' Flying Hill. At the same time, it is hoped that this year's final women's jumping competition will pave the way for the organization of the season finale for women on the Gorišek Brothers' Flying Hill in the next season, which was already the wish of the Slovenian Ski Association last year.
