Klingenthal, 25 October. Kazakh ski jumper Danil Vassilyev finished third in the overall standings of the Summer Grand Prix with 201 points for the season; a top-three finish in the summer series is a historic achievement for Kazakhstan in the sport, the National Olympic Committee said.
The final stage of the international series was held in Klingenthal, Germany. Japan's Naoki Nakamura won the overall standings with 450 points, and Austria's Daniel Tschofenig was second with 216. Vassilyev finished 15 points behind the Austrian and five ahead of fourth-placed Gregor Deschwanden of Switzerland (196 points), Kazinform reported.
What it means: For the first time a Kazakh jumper made the podium of the Summer Grand Prix overall standings, ahead of strong European athletes.
Who benefits: Vassilyev and the team get a good start ahead of the winter World Cup season. Kazakh ski jumping gets a result it had never achieved in the summer series.
Background: The Summer Grand Prix is an International Ski and Snowboard Federation series on hills with artificial surfaces, held before the winter World Cup.
