Zao, Japan –A season which began with an historic debut World Cup win by Sarah Hendrickson, of Park City, Utah, reached its pinnacle on Saturday as the American teen clinched the overall title in the inaugural World Cup season for women’s ski jumping.

Hendrickson, 17, opened the day with a win then hung on to the runner-up spot in a rare weather-shortened second event to extend her World Cup lead to 295 points over Austrian Daniela Iraschko with two events remaining. Saturday’s second competition was a make-up event to replace one cancelled Jan. 28 in Szczyrk, Poland. Hendrickson has won seven of the 11 World Cups this season and placed second three times. Japan’s Sara Takanashi won the second competition with a new hill record as Hendrickson soared 95.5 meters, unable to match the new hill record set by Takanashi at 102.5. In the first event, Hendrickson and Takanashi shared the hill record at 99.5 meters.

“I know that this is a historical moment but I will need months or even years to realize what it really means,” said Hendrickson. “It’s pretty crazy and I don’t know how to put it into words. I knew I had to jump really well and that Sara (Takanashi) was catching up to me for the overall.  I felt a lot of pressure, but that’s why I love ski jumping.”

It was a strong day for Women’s Ski Jumping USA (WSJ-USA) with Jessica Jerome and Lindsey Van, both also of Park City, finishing sixth and tied for eighth, respectively.

“I wanted to follow the path of Lindsey Van who won the first World Championship gold,” Hendrickson added. “I’m proud to have achieved something the first individual World Cup victory and the first overall World Cup title.”

Women ski jumpers have competed on the lower-tier Continental Cup for seven years. In 2010, the FIS approved a World Cup circuit for women to debut in the 2011-12 season. And after a long-fought battle, women will be allowed to ski jump in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games for the first time. The World Cup circuit is physically and mentally draining and demanding of any athlete, never mind a teenager, said Alan Alborn, head coach for WSJ-USA and former World Cup competitor and Olympian.

“To have an athlete sustain that high level of jumping from the first World Cup of the season to now is, well, incredible,” he said. “I’m blown away and super psyched for her.”

For Paolo Bernardi, WSJ-USA coach who has been traveling with the team on the World Cup, he “feels like the luckiest person in the world.”

The U.S. women’s team is No. 1 in the world — thanks to wins by Hendrickson and consistent podiums, and top-10 and top-25 results from Van, Jessica Jerome, Abby Hughes and Alissa Johnson — and will most likely win the overall team title.

Bernardi is a former Italian Nordic Combined athlete who almost left the sport after completing his athletic career. But he said his father, who died 10 years ago, pushed him to stay in the business as a coach.

“I’m sure he’s proud of me right now. After 15 years of working as a coach, to be here in this place in this time, I just have no words,” he said, working to fight back the tears. “I’m so happy for Sarah and so proud of our team.”

And back home in Park City — more than 5,000 miles away — Sarah’s mom, Nancy Hendrickson, was huddled over a computer at midnight watching the live ticker of results. When she got the call that her daughter was the new World Cup title winner, she did what was natural.

“I just cried,” she said. “I am so proud of her and that she’s been gracious and thoughtful in the midst of all that immense pressure. She’s been able to keep it together and I credit her coaches and teammates for helping her keep it real. They were amazing.”

Nancy Hendrickson dismisses the idea that she or her family had anything to do with Sarah’s early success.

“People look at me like I’m crazy for letting my teenage daughter go on the road to compete for months at a time,” she said. “But she’s doing what she loves to do and it’s who she is. There’s no control. Her wings are firmly attached and I’ve got to let her fly.”

Hendrickson will be presented with the Crystal Globe in Oslo, Norway at the season finale Holmenkollen Ski Festival this weekend.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
FIS Ski Jumping World Cup
Zao, Japan – Mar. 3, 2012
Women’s HS100 Normal Hill

First Event:

Second Event: