Canadian ski jumper Alex Loutitt claims overall bronze in Summer Grand Prix
19-year-old Calgarian finishes summer season with 4 bronze medals
World champion ski jumper Alexandria Loutitt fell well short of a victory on Saturday but still managed to climb onto the overall podium in the Grand Prix Summer Series.
The 19-year-old Calgarian, who won bronze in four of the previous six Grand Prix events, sat in first place after posting the longest jump of the day at 139.9 metres in the opening round, but dropped to 25th after falling in her final attempt in Klingenthal, Germany.
"That's not the way I wanted to end the summer season, but at least there is something positive today [finishing third overall]," Loutitt said on her Instagram account.
🙏🏻 <a href="https://twitter.com/Ale_Loutitt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ale_Loutitt</a> is fine and smiling 🥰<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/fisskijumping?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#fisskijumping</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/grandprix?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#grandprix</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/grandprix2023?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#grandprix2023</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/skijumping?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#skijumping</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/skijumpingfamily?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#skijumpingfamily</a> <a href="https://t.co/vV1YoHClzk">pic.twitter.com/vV1YoHClzk</a>
—@FISskijumpingSlovenia's Ema Klinec won the final Grand Prix event of the season, finishing ahead of compatriot Nika Kriznar, who claimed the overall title despite missing the top step of the podium for the first time all season.
Japan's Sara Takanashi edged out Loutitt for second in the overall standings. Fellow Calgarian Abigail Strate finished sixth overall.
"Overall, for me, the summer is preparation for the winter season which I am looking forward to," said Strate, who was not able to jump on her second attempt after being flagged for being late and finished 28th.
Loutitt became Canada's first ski jumping world champion when she took gold in the women's large hill event March 1 in Slovenia. She is the first Canadian to reach the overall podium in the Summer Grand Prix since Alexandra Pretorius finished second in 2012.
Loutitt, Strate, MacKenzie Boyd-Clowes and Matthew Soukup combined for an Olympic bronze medal in the inaugural mixed team event last year in Beijing.
