Geraghty-Moats Crowned Nordic Combined Champion
West Fairlee, Vermont’s Tara Geraghty-Moats has been training her whole life for this and this past weekend, that training paid off as she became the first woman ever to win the Nordic combined Continental Cup, in its debut year — a precursor to next year’s inclusion as a Word Cup event. She not only won, but swept the field with a perfect 10 victories in 10 events for a total of 1000 points.
It’s the first time women have been allowed to compete in one of the oldest of Olympic sports, Nordic combined, at this high a level. The sport gives points for both ski jumping and cross-country skiing. Moats, who grew up and still lives in West Fairlee, has been doing both sports since she was 8 years old.
[Read our full profile of her “She Skis, She Jumps, She Shoots”]
And finally, the event she’s been waiting for, got greenlighted last year although it remains the only winter Olympic sport that is not open to women.
As the FIS reported, “Geraghty-Moats also won the final event in Nizhny Tagil (RUS) and dominated the field by crossing the finish line one minute and 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Gyda Westvold Hansen from Norway. After a heavy crash in Otepää (EST), Russia’s Stefaniya Nadymova returned to competition action with a vengeance to take the third place, +1:33 behind Geraghty-Moats.
As the two days before, Geraghty-Moats laid the foundation for very victory on the jumping hill and won the last of three jumping rounds in Russia. This time, 87.5 metres (111.4 p.) carried her to the pole position for the final 5 km cross-country race. Italy’s Veronica Gianmoena claimed the second position at the start line after showing 89 metres (106 p.). Russia’s Stefaniya Nadymova and Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) were hot on Gianmoena’s heels, starting their races at +0:26 and +0:27 seconds.
In a demonstration of balance and her high level of performance, Geraghty-Moats set the fastest pace in the race as well and needed 14:59.4 to cover the 5 km distance. Anastasia Goncharova was the second fastest woman out on the track and improved from position 12 to eight. The rest of the Top Ten positions were taken by Veronica Gianmoena (4), Maria Gerboth and Jenny Nowak (5 and 6), Lisa Hirner (8) and Olga Aristova and Svetlana Gladikova.
In the overall standings, Geraghty-Moats won with a total of 1000 points, followed by Gyda Westvold-Hansen’s 760. The third place went to Germany’s Jenny Nowak (560 points.
The 25-year-old also won the final event in Nizhny Tagil (RUS) and dominated the field by crossing the finish line one minute and 30 seconds ahead of runner-up Gyda Westvold Hansen from Norway. After a heavy crash in Otepää (EST), Russia’s Stefaniya Nadymova returned to competition action with a vengeance to take the third place, +1:33 behind Geraghty-Moats.
As the two days before, Geraghty-Moats laid the foundation for very victory on the jumping hill and won the last of three jumping rounds in Russia. This time, 87.5 metres (111.4 p.) carried her to the pole position for the final 5 km cross-country race. Italy’s Veronica Gianmoena claimed the second position at the start line after showing 89 metres (106 p.). Russia’s Stefaniya Nadymova and Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) were hot on Gianmoena’s heels, starting their races at +0:26 and +0:27 seconds.
In a demonstration of balance and her high level of performance, Geraghty-Moats set the fastest pace in the race as well and needed 14:59.4 to cover the 5 km distance. Anastasia Goncharova was the second fastest woman out on the track and improved from position 12 to eight. The rest of the Top Ten positions were taken by Veronica Gianmoena (4), Maria Gerboth and Jenny Nowak (5 and 6), Lisa Hirner (8) and Olga Aristova and Svetlana Gladikova.
In the overall standings, Geraghty-Moats won with a total of 1000 points, followed by Gyda Westvold-Hansen’s 760. The third place went to Germany’s Jenny Nowak (560 points.
