WISLA, Pol.—Canada’s Abigail Strate opened the Summer Grand Prix ski jumping season with a pair of top 10 finishes as the national team launched a new Olympic quadrennial with a clear focus on building toward winter’s biggest competitions.
The 25-year-old Calgarian placed 10th in Saturday’s large hill competition in Wisla, Poland with 184.0 points before improving to ninth on Sunday, producing the sixth-best jump of the final round to finish with 205.4 points.
While the results were encouraging, Strate’s focus is on trusting the process rather than chasing podium finishes.
“This summer the coaches and I are on the same page about taking things slower in training and really focusing on the details,” said Strate. “Competitions aren’t the priority (right now). We were even on the fence about whether I should compete at all but decided to treat it as a training camp on a different hill.
“We’re trying to have my best jumping happen in the winter, closer to the World Championships, so we’re not rushing anything. I knew I wasn’t coming in with the same form I had last summer, and I wasn’t trying to worry about that. It was more about testing the competition mindset and getting comfortable on a different hill.”
Calgary’s Nicole Maurer also represented Canada in the women’s competitions, placing 22nd on Saturday with 143.9 points before finishing 28th on Sunday with 158.3 points.
Slovenia’s Ema Klinec claimed Saturday’s victory with 227.4 points in women’s leaping, while compatriot Nika Vodan captured Sunday’s title with 242.2 points.
Tarik VanWieren was Canada’s lone men’s competitor at the season opener. The young Calgary athlete finished 41st on Saturday and 47th on Sunday while competing against a deep international men’s field.
Strate entered the opening weekend looking to build momentum after a breakthrough 2025 Summer Grand Prix campaign in which she captured five podium finishes, including two victories. Although she has traditionally found greater success during the winter season, the Canadian believes patience now will pay dividends later.
“I’ve always been a summer person. I like the sun and I’ve always liked jumping in the summer,” said Strate, who is also a graphic designer.
“It’s hard not to have expectations after last season, but I’m trying to trust the process and trust that I’ll be jumping at my best when it matters most. We had high hopes this weekend, but not high expectations. We’ll keep focusing on training and hopefully keep getting better as we move toward winter. It was nice to be back in that competitive environment.”
Summer ski jumping is contested on porcelain in-run tracks with water-soaked plastic covering the landing slope, allowing athletes to compete and train throughout the warmer months. The summer circuit has become a critical part of season-long athlete development, with men’s competitions beginning in 1994 and women’s events added in 2012.
Large hills are designed with a hill size of approximately 120 metres, while normal hills are approximately 90 metres, based on the point where athletes are expected to land safely.
