Austria's Lisa Eder secured her maiden World Cup victory in women's ski jumping on Wednesday in Zao, Japan, edging out Slovenia's Nika Prevc. The 24-year-old finished with 227.9 points after a strong 98-meter jump in the final round. Canada's Abigail Strate took bronze with 222.3 points.
The women's ski jumping World Cup in Zao, Japan, concluded dramatically on Wednesday with Austria's Lisa Eder claiming her first career victory. Eder, who had previously notched 13 podium finishes without a win, held a 3.4-point lead over Prevc after the opening round and sealed the triumph with her 98-meter effort, totaling 227.9 points. Prevc, the double world champion and overall leader, scored 226.5 points for second place, while Strate, from Calgary, earned bronze at 222.3 points—her fourth medal of the season, including one gold and two silvers.
The event followed Tuesday's opening contest, where Japan's Nozomi Maruyama prevailed with 222.5 points at the Aliontek Zao Schanze, marking her sixth World Cup win. Eder had placed second that day. "There are so many people I would like to thank, my family, coaches and the whole team," Eder said. "My training jump yesterday was not good and then every jump became better, but I still don't know how it happened!"
This success makes Eder the sixth Austrian woman to win a World Cup event, joining Daniela Iraschko-Stolz, Eva Pinkelnig, Chiara Kreuzer, Marita Kramer, and Jacqueline Seifriedsberger. She now sits third in the overall standings behind Prevc and Maruyama. For Strate, the result bolsters her form ahead of her second Olympics in Milano-Cortina 2026, where she previously earned a mixed team bronze in 2022.
The Zao competitions cap the Japanese leg of the 2025/26 season, with athletes now heading to Sapporo for the penultimate World Cup before the Olympics. Eder, who finished second in Sapporo last year, expressed optimism: "I hope it continues like this; now it’s off to Sapporo... I’ll give it my best shot."
Maruyama's strong home performance underscores Japan's dominance, having won Tuesday's event despite placing eighth on Wednesday.
