PLANICA (VG) Maren Lundby (28) was among the top 10 at Tuesday’s training in Planica. This means that she gets a place on the Norwegian team until Thursday. Silje Opseth does not.
Only Anna Odine Strøm jumped better than Maren Lundby of the Norwegians in Tuesday’s training. The biggest surprise, however, was the jump to Silje Opseth. She is in 7th place in the World Cup, but jumped the worst of the Norwegians and is therefore not going to jump the normal hill race in the WC on Thursday.
– It is a shame that Silje quits. The team must now be ready. The other girls are not just a little better either, says NRK expert Anders Bardal to VG.
– It is a big surprise, says expert colleague Johan Remen Evensen.
Coach Christian Meyer told VG before Tuesday’s training that they wanted an “American outlet”. This means that those who jumped the best in training are ready for the first jumping exercise of the world championships.
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In the comeback season, it has been tiring at times for Lundby. In the World Cup summary, she is in 34th place, the weakest of the Norwegian WC athletes.
In Tuesday’s training, she was all the way up among the top 10.
– What Maren is doing is starting to look like something. When she’s in the top 10, it’s a short way up. Now she can win gold, says Bardal.
As the reigning world champion in the big hill, Lundby is automatically qualified for that race, but there was a bigger question as to whether she would be allowed to jump the normal hill race on Thursday.
The Norwegian team has four places, for which five fought. Opseth now has to watch Lundby, Strøm, Eirin Maria Kvandal and Thea Minyan Bjørseth jump.
