Women’s Ski Jumping USA nominates eight for historic season

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

Women’s Ski Jumping USA has nominated eight of the top women athletes in the nation to represent the Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team in one of the most historic seasons ever for the sport. 

Jessica Jerome, Lindsey Van, Sarah Hendrickson, Alissa Johnson and Abby Hughes (all of Park City, UT) will make up the Visa Team. Nita Englund (Florence, WI), Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY) and Emilee Anderson (Eau Claire, WI) will represent the Visa Development Team.

Women’s ski jumping makes its debut on the International Ski Federation World Cup circuit this winter, which means better ski jumping venues and more international support and broadcast time for the events. Also, the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games in Innsbruck, AUT, in January will be the first International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event to include women’s ski jumping on the program.

Alan Alborn, WSJ-USA head coach, said team members have worked hard this summer in preparation for the season and believes they have gained strength not only physically and technically, but mentally as well.

“The World Cup season will push them to their limits and I believe that we have the strongest team in the world,” Alborn said.

To make the Visa Team, the jumpers had to meet criteria including performance benchmarks on last year’s Continental Cup. Development team nominations are per the coaches’ discretion and the athletes have to be junior-level status.

“The World Cup is something bigger compared to the Continental Cup and it will present a new challenge even for the most experienced athletes,” said WSJ-USA International Coach Paolo Bernardi, who will be traveling with the Visa Team. “I want to make that challenge and the new atmosphere a plus for their performance.”

There will be 14 competitions on the women’s World Cup (WC) circuit, including stops in Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, Slovenia and Japan. The WC opener is Dec. 3 in Lillehammer, NOR and the season ends March 9, 2012, in Oslo, NOR on the Midstubakken hill, the same venue that hosted the 2011 World Ski Jumping Championships.

Also this year, Jessica Jerome and Lindsey Van have met U.S. Ski Team criteria to receive some support and access to elite athlete resources offered through the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association in addition to the primary support they receive from WSJ-USA.

2012 Visa Women’s Ski Jumping Team Nomination

Team A

Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT

Lindsey Van, Park City, UT

Team B

Sarah Hendrickson, Park City, UT

Team C

Abby Hughes, Park City, UT

Alissa Johnson, Park City, UT

Development Team

Nita Englund, Park City, UT

Nina Lussi, Lake Placid, NY,

Emilee Anderson, Eau Claire, WI

Support women's sports and SHARE this story with your friends!

• Ski
• Sports
• Jump
• Wintersports
• Ski Jump

This post is related to an ongoing story:

• Women`s Ski Jumping in the Olympics

This article was written by a WomenTalkSports.com contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own women's sports content.

View anngaff's Full Profile