Canada’s Abigail Strate earns silver at ski jumping World Cup as Olympics approach

By Canadian Press on January 24, 2026.

SAPPORO — Canada’s Abigail Strate stayed hot heading to the Milan Cortina Olympics, earning a silver on the women’s large hill at the Ski Jumping World Cup on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Calgarian reached the podium for the second straight competition – and for the first time this season – after earning bronze earlier this week on the normal hill in Zao, Japan.

“I’m really happy to get silver in Sapporo because it is a hill that I’ve struggled on for years,” said Strate, who was officially nominated to her second Olympic Winter Games team earlier this week.

“In the past, my jumping here has been inconsistent and I’ve gotten a bit lost in my head. This year I came in determined to make friends with the hill, and that made a big difference.”

Strate delivered the top jump of the final round, soaring 130.0 metres to finish with a combined score of 273.9 points, securing her fourth World Cup podium of the season and ninth of her career.

Slovenia’s Nika Prevc won gold with 279.4 points, edging Strate by just six points, while Norway’s Anna Odine Strom took bronze at 260.3.

Ski jumping results are determined by a combination of distance and style points. Strate sat third after the opening round and moved up one position in the final heat among the top 30 competitors.

The majority of Strate’s podium finishes this season have come on the large hill.

Earlier in the Olympic year, she captured silver medals on the big hill in Lillehammer, Norway, and in Poland. The women’s large hill event will make its Olympic debut at the 2026 Winter Games.

“I hope it’s not a normal hill versus large hill thing,” said Strate. “When the jumps are good, they work on both. That’s what I’m aiming for heading into the Olympics, because we’ll need to perform on both hills.”

Calgary’s Nicole Maurer was 37th and did not advance to the final round.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2026.

The Canadian Press