Alexandria Loutitt, Canadian ski jumper, wins bronze in Japan

Canadian ski jumper Alexandria Loutitt returned to the World Cup podium with a bronze-medal performance on Friday.

The 20-year-old from Calgary posted a two-jump total of 216.7 points in the normal hill competition to finish behind gold medallist Nika Prevc of Slovenia and silver medallist Yuki Ito of Japan.

Loutitt posted jumps of 94 and 98.5 metres.

Prevc, the overall World Cup leader, dominated the competition by scoring 235.2 points with jumps of 98.5 and 96 metres. Ito, who had the day’s best jump at 101.5 metres, finished with 223.1 points.

Fellow Canadian Abigail Strate, also of Calgary, finished in seventh place with 210 points.

Loutitt, who won the large hill world championship last March, started the 2023-24 World Cup season with three straight podium finishes — two silvers and one bronze — but struggled during the holiday season, while teammate Strate rattled off a medal hat trick of her own with a silver and two bronze.

“I’m definitely really happy with my performance today. I finally feel like everything is back in motion,” said Loutitt.

“I made it to Zao with a clear head. I felt like my performance showed that and my last jump today I finally felt like me again so I’m really, really happy.”

Loutitt sits fifth overall in the Nations Cup standings, while Strate is eighth.

The pair, who helped Canada win bronze in mixed team event at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, will join forces Saturday in the World Cup team event.

“Things are back on track, and I want to keep the momentum going throughout the rest of the weekend. I’m really looking forward to jumping with Abi tomorrow,” said Loutitt. “It is such a fun event, and it will be so much fun to do a team event with Abi, especially when we are in a place where we are really strong as a team.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2024.