Lydia Ierodiaconou has made a solid comeback to competition after missing two World Cup events following a concussion she received in China in mid-February.
Lydia Ierodiaconou has made a solid comeback to competition after missing two World Cup events following a concussion she received in China in mid-February.
Jumping in the Czech Republic resort of Spindleruv Mlyn, Ierodiaconou continued her focus on triple somersaults, landing a double twisting triple jump (a lay full full) in the qualification round.
She collected 97.85 points to take third position behind World Cup leader Nina Li (103.48 points) and Swiss skier Evelyn Leu (102.98).
The Australian’s jump in the final round was not as good, as she missed the landing on her single twisting triple to score just 69.47 points, dropping back to ninth overall.
Jacqui Cooper had also missed the last World Cup event at the Olympic venue of Sauze d’Oulx after a training fall, and had spent the two week break before Spindleruv Mlyn having treatment for a back injury she sustained in the crash.
With just three training jumps behind her for the week, Cooper scored 89.93 points from the judges to rest in fifth place after the elimination round, then scored 82.21 for her lower degree of difficulty single twisting double to finish in fifth place overall.
Li went on to win the event, her fifth for the season and her tenth straight podium finish. She scored a total of 205.18 points, one of the highest in history, to defeat Leu by nearly ten points. The tour veteran scored 195.73 points, with Russian Anna Zukal taking the bronze medal on 188.14 points.
“The event may not look great on the result sheet,” said Olympic Winter Institute Aerial Skiing Coach Todd Ossian, “but there were certainly some good things to come out of it.”
“I thought Jacqui was likely to miss the event and next week as well. She has been in Prague having injections for the back, been wearing a brace and in pain and feeling very stiff.”
“So to compete at all was a great effort by her.”
“And Lydia has had virtually no training for the past three weeks, and only jumped three lay full fulls in training here, so for her to come out and land it in competition was also very impressive.”
“She missed on the second jump, but I was really pleased with what she achieved here in terms of what we are trying to do.”
Of the other Australians, Liz Gardner finished in 12th place on 114.68 points after missing her second jump, her new triple twisting double somersault. Lainie Cole was in 20th place in the elimination round, missing the final.
With the World Cup final in Madonna di Campiglio next weekend, Li has already won the crystal globe. She sits on 925 points, 271 clear of Ierodiaconou, who has also secured second place for the season.
Chinese skier Xin Xin Guo is in third place on 474 points, with Cooper fourth on 392. Closing on Cooper after the bronze in Spindleruv is Zukal on 358.
With Li the dominant competitor in the last half of the season, and Leu now showing far more consistency than she has in the past, the battle for the World Championship crown in Finland in two weeks’ time will be very interesting.
Ierodiaconou is certainly not out of the mix, but the preparation of her new triple somersault repertoire has certainly been compromised by the concussion, and by missed training opportunities during the season due to adverse weather.
Jumping in the Czech Republic resort of Spindleruv Mlyn, Ierodiaconou continued her focus on triple somersaults, landing a double twisting triple jump (a lay full full) in the qualification round.
She collected 97.85 points to take third position behind World Cup leader Nina Li (103.48 points) and Swiss skier Evelyn Leu (102.98).
The Australian’s jump in the final round was not as good, as she missed the landing on her single twisting triple to score just 69.47 points, dropping back to ninth overall.
Jacqui Cooper had also missed the last World Cup event at the Olympic venue of Sauze d’Oulx after a training fall, and had spent the two week break before Spindleruv Mlyn having treatment for a back injury she sustained in the crash.
With just three training jumps behind her for the week, Cooper scored 89.93 points from the judges to rest in fifth place after the elimination round, then scored 82.21 for her lower degree of difficulty single twisting double to finish in fifth place overall.
Li went on to win the event, her fifth for the season and her tenth straight podium finish. She scored a total of 205.18 points, one of the highest in history, to defeat Leu by nearly ten points. The tour veteran scored 195.73 points, with Russian Anna Zukal taking the bronze medal on 188.14 points.
“The event may not look great on the result sheet,” said Olympic Winter Institute Aerial Skiing Coach Todd Ossian, “but there were certainly some good things to come out of it.”
“I thought Jacqui was likely to miss the event and next week as well. She has been in Prague having injections for the back, been wearing a brace and in pain and feeling very stiff.”
“So to compete at all was a great effort by her.”
“And Lydia has had virtually no training for the past three weeks, and only jumped three lay full fulls in training here, so for her to come out and land it in competition was also very impressive.”
“She missed on the second jump, but I was really pleased with what she achieved here in terms of what we are trying to do.”
Of the other Australians, Liz Gardner finished in 12th place on 114.68 points after missing her second jump, her new triple twisting double somersault. Lainie Cole was in 20th place in the elimination round, missing the final.
With the World Cup final in Madonna di Campiglio next weekend, Li has already won the crystal globe. She sits on 925 points, 271 clear of Ierodiaconou, who has also secured second place for the season.
Chinese skier Xin Xin Guo is in third place on 474 points, with Cooper fourth on 392. Closing on Cooper after the bronze in Spindleruv is Zukal on 358.
With Li the dominant competitor in the last half of the season, and Leu now showing far more consistency than she has in the past, the battle for the World Championship crown in Finland in two weeks’ time will be very interesting.
Ierodiaconou is certainly not out of the mix, but the preparation of her new triple somersault repertoire has certainly been compromised by the concussion, and by missed training opportunities during the season due to adverse weather.
