Despite a disappointing fall in Klingenthal, Germany last weekend, Alexandria Loutitt is now the first Canadian ever to stand on the overall Summer Ski Jumping Grand Prix podium.
Months after soaring to World Juniors gold in Whistler, Loutitt put together a career-best summer outing with half a dozen top-10 results and 322 points, good enough for third in Grand Prix rankings. She was four points away from equalling Japan's Sara Takanashi.
The 19-year-old kicked off the seven-event series with four straight bronze medals. She was hunting for her first victory on Saturday, and claimed top spot after posting the longest jump of the day at 139.9 metres in the opening round.
Loutitt dropped to 25th after falling in her final attempt to finish with 125.5 points.
“That’s not the way I wanted to end the summer season, but at least there is something positive today (finishing third overall),” said the Calgarian on her Instagram account.
Results roundup
Ema Klinec won the final Grand Prix event of the season with 247.2 points.
Nika Kriznar secured the overall Grand Prix title with 680 points despite missing out on gold for the first time in the 2023 campaign. The Slovenian clinched silver in Germany with 246.4 points.
Austria’s Jacqueline Seifriedsberger took third in Klingenthal at 211.5 points.
“Most athletes prefer the summer, but I’m not one of those even though I enjoy being outside when it is nice out. I’m just not a summer jumper (traditionally) and tend to perform better in the winter so I’m happy to be performing at this level when it is usually more challenging for me,” Loutitt told reporters earlier in the season, noting that summer ski jumps take place on an in-run where the tracks are made from porcelain and the grass is covered with wet plastic.
“I am jumping with more confidence and it feels like it is the first time I have been able to do that in the summer consistently, which is really cool.”
Fellow Canadian Abigail Strate also had six top-10 finishes this summer, including two fourths and a fifth. The 22-year-old Calgarian finished sixth overall with 252 points.
“Overall, for me, the summer is preparation for the winter season which I am looking forward to,” said Strate, who wound up 28th in Germany.
Loutitt and Strate, who were part of the bronze medal-winning Olympic squad in 2022, have rewritten ski jumping history books over the last three years. The duo have racked up more than 40, top-10 finishes in the last 12 months, which has included three World Cup podiums along with Loutitt’s junior world title in Callaghan Valley and senior worlds gold in Japan last winter.
