– There is certainly someone to compete with, but yes, I think so. There is a story behind it which is much more than sport, Bråthen said when asked by NTB.

– She has won the World Cup three times in total, won Olympic gold and World Championship gold, and won a World Championship medal for the 10th time. It’s hard to compare, but if you take into account what she has created in the political struggle and what she has endured with her health, she is probably the greatest Norwegian ski jumper of all. time.

It saw Lundby set a floor record with 139.5 meters in the first round and take the lead with the best jump of 133 meters in the final round. Then came Alexandria Loutitt and won the gold medal on the last jump of the competition.

– There are two winners tonight, a Canadian and a Norwegian. It was the best jumper who won today, but probably the greatest sporting achievement was Maren’s, Bråthen said in a faltering voice.

– Extremely beautiful

– It’s a very beautiful sporting moment, I must say. With everything behind it, it’s so absolutely fantastic that I’m again at a loss for words, which the lady is very good at making sure I do.

Lundby struggled with health issues after winning World Championship downhill gold two years ago and missed all of last year’s Olympic season and parts of it. On Wednesday, she was back on top.

– No ski jumper I know has come close to putting in so much work over such a long period of time, and I feel like most of that effort takes place on a steep descent. She hung on to it, and now it’s incredibly good for everyone who stood by her, helped and tried to find solutions to her challenges, Bråthen said.

Inspiration

– It was epic to see Maren start jumping yesterday, because we know what kind of winning spirit she has.

The jump manager hopes Lundby’s performance will inspire others.

– We are a small niche sport, but I believe and hope that many young girls and boys now think that I want to play this sport. It is actually possible to win without a perfect body. Maren was very close today and his body is not perfect for ski jumping. This is a huge win for our sport, he said.

(© NTB)