ZAO, Japan (AP) – Maren Lundby won her fifth straight World Cup ski jumping event on Sunday, building momentum for next month’s Pyeongchang Olympics.
Lundby posted jumps of 97.0 and 101.0 meters on the normal hill for a total of 245.9 points, giving the Norwegian victories in six of the eight World Cup events this season.
“My jumps today were good,” Lundby said. “Especially the last one. I was a bit late on the takeoff of the first jump.”
Japan’s Yuki Ito was second with 215.7 points after leaps of 90.5 and 91.5 meters while compatriot Sara Takanashi was third with 215.4 points following jumps of 89.0 and 91.0.
Lundby won all four World Cup events in Japan to widen her lead in the overall standings to 760 points, 260 ahead of Germany’s Katharina Althaus.
With just four events remaining before the Pyeongchang Games, Lundby solidified her position as the gold medal favorite.
“There are always things to improve on,” Lundby said. “I want to work on my technique over the next few weeks and make better jumps in Pyeongchang.”