American teen jumps to second in World Cup

USA TODAY Sports

U.S. ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson (left) poses on the podium next to Japan's Sara Takanashi and Anette Sagen of Norway after the women's World Cup ski jumping event in the Lysgard Ski Arena in Lillehammer, Norway, on Saturday. Takanashi won the event.

Hendrickson is coming off knee surgery in April
She won nine of 13 World Cups last season
World Cup heads to Sochi for Olympic test event

In her first competition since having knee surgery, defending World Cup ski jumping champion Sarah Hendrickson was second in Lillehammer, Norway.

In the first World Cup of the season, the American had jumps of 98.5 and 95 meters Saturday. Japan's Sara Takanashi won with jumps of 96 and 98 meters.

Hendrickson, 18, of Park City, Utah, had surgery in April. Last season she became the first World Cup champion in women's ski jumping, winning nine of 13 events.

"For Sarah, she was coming off knee surgery six months ago and didn't have all that time to train," said U.S. women's ski jumping coach Paolo Bernardi, "plus having to cut down her skis by 6 centimeters was tough (to comply with FIS regulations based on weight). So, second place is amazing for her. She just nailed it today. She was super strong and had a lot of pressure of being the reigning World Cup champion."

American Lindsey Van was eighth in Lillehammer.

The next World Cup competition is in Sochi, Russia, for Olympic test events Dec. 7-9. Women's ski jumping will make its Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Games.

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