Canadian ski jumper Abigail Strate delivered a stunning performance in Poland on Thursday, soaring to a silver medal at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup large hill event in Wisla.
A Second Silver for a Strong Season Start
The 24-year-old from Calgary secured her podium finish with a total score of 240.9 points across two jumps. This remarkable achievement marks her second silver medal of the young World Cup season and the seventh World Cup podium of her career.
Strate's victory was clinched by a spectacular final leap. After sitting in fourth place following the first round, she unleashed the best jump of the final heat, flying 131 metres to surge into second position. Her celebration was electric, a release of joy after a performance she described as jumping "for the soul."
Overcoming Challenges with Grit and Teamwork
The triumph didn't come without recent hurdles. Strate admitted to struggling during previous competitions in Sweden and in training. "I was trying to keep myself calm because there can be a lot of noise (in an athlete's) mind," she revealed.
She credited a pivotal coaching decision for her turnaround. On her only day off earlier in the week in Slovenia, her coaches put her on cross-country skis to work on her in-run speed. "I did not want to spend my day off on cross-country skis, but I’m so happy for the coaches I have around me who knew what I needed," Strate said, highlighting the team's problem-solving ethos.
The gold medal went to Norway's Anna Odine Stroem with 246.0 points, putting Strate just 5.1 points shy of the top spot. Japan's Nozomi Maruyama finished third with 236.9 points.
Building Momentum for an Olympic Debut
This result continues an exceptionally strong start to the Olympic season for Strate. She also won silver at the season-opener in Lillehammer, Norway, two weeks prior. Notably, all three of her career second-place World Cup finishes have now come on large hills.
This trend is particularly encouraging as Strate looks ahead to the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where the women's large hill event will make its historic debut. "I hope it's not a 90 metre versus a big hill thing," Strate commented on her consistency. "When the jumps are good it works on both and that’s how I hope it is when the Olympics come around."
Nicknamed "Bee," the certified beekeeper and talented graphic designer has been buzzing since summer, finishing on the podium in all five Grand Prix events she entered. With this latest World Cup silver, Abigail Strate is proving she's on a soaring flight path straight toward the Olympic podium.
