Polish skier Pawel Wasek clinched victory in the first of two FIS Grand Prix competitions in Rasnov, Romania, on Saturday. Wasek achieved jumps of 95 and 92 meters, narrowly surpassing Austria’s Ulrich Wohlgenannt, who recorded 96.5 and 95 meters, and American Kevin Bickner, who posted jumps of 97.5 and 91.5 meters. This marks Wasek’s first win in over a year, following Piotr Zyla’s success at the Szczyrk Grand Prix in August 2023.
“I’m over the moon with this victory,” Wasek remarked, reflecting on the challenging conditions he faced during both jumps. “This is significant for me and the whole team; we need success. I hope my performance tomorrow will match today’s.”
Wohlgenannt expressed satisfaction with his second-place finish, noting his recent struggles: “I knew things would improve, and they did today. I’m eager to see how I perform in tomorrow’s competition and possibly in Hinzenbach.”
The U.S. team also celebrated a strong showing, with Bickner finishing third, following his earlier podium finish in Wisla. “Those were good jumps today, and I’m thrilled with third place. Our training is paying off,” Bickner stated. Andrew Urlaub, Dean Decker, and newcomer Jason Colby also represented the U.S. well, finishing eighth, 18th, and 27th, respectively.
The French team demonstrated notable progress, with Ari Repellin and Enzo Milesi taking 11th and 12th places, while Jules Chervet secured 16th. Head coach Nicolas Dessum praised the team’s advancement in the competition.
Italian Alex Insam climbed to the top of the overall Grand Prix standings, finishing 10th in the daily classification, now leading with 213 points, followed closely by Stefan Kraft and Marius Lindvik, both at 200 points.
Swiss competitor Felix Trunz surprised many by finishing fifth, outperforming teammate Simon Ammann, who placed 24th after facing training challenges due to summer commitments.
The second men’s Grand Prix in Rasnov is set to begin on Sunday at 16:00.