Liberec, Czech Republic - The first jumper, aged 12, crashed and the session was stopped after just four more starters due to gusty wind on Tuesday as women's ski-jumping got off to a bad start in its world championship debut. Czech youngster Natalie Dejmkova fell on landing after 33 metres on the K-100m hill.
The adverse conditions forced organizers to postpone the first three training jumps on the Liberec normal hill until the evening. But the conditions were even worse by then with driving snowfall, forcing the women to wait until Wednesday.
The competition to crown the first women's champion is set for Friday.
"It's a little disappointing. We are looking forward to this so much," German medal contender Ulrike Graessler told reporters as she and the others had to return to the finish area by ski lift.
Graessler, American Lindsey Van, Norway's Anette Sagen and Daniela Iraschko of Austria are the top medal contenders in the discipline which was only recognized by the ruling body FIS a decade ago.
"We hope to get a medal. We have had podium finishes and victories," said German team coach Daniel Vogler, who also recalled his start back in 2001.
"There were no national teams when I started eight years ago. We had to start from scratch," he said.
Vogler, Graessler and the FIS jumping chief Walter Hofer said that women's ski-jumping still needed more improvement to be fully recognized despite the swift progress over the years.
Graessler named the world championships mainly "a platform" for women's jumping, Vogler said "it is the future" while Hofer told Deutsche Presse-Agentur
