speechless because training yesterday was not so good. Now I've improved today. I've not won a World Cup till now. It's unbelievable. I wouldn't have imagined that one day before."

In 2011, the International Olympic Committee agreed to allow the women to compete at Sochi — 90 years after men did at the inaugural Winter Games in 1924.

Takansashi set the tone early, jumping last in the warm-up and beating Iraschko-Stolz by a meter.

When Takanashi's placing lit up the scoreboard, a group of Japanse fans blew kazoo-like devices and waved a large flagpole containing a carp kite — a fish that the Japanese consider good luck, followed by the Japanese flag, and then a banner with Takanashi's picture on it.

The carp didn't bring her much luck.

Takanashi finished the first roundin third place, meaning she would jump third-last in the final round, a place she was not used to considering she has led and won so many World Cups this year.

Iraschko-Stolz took the lead with three jumpers to go, leaving Vogt needing a good jump to overtake her. It wasn't as good as the Austrian's final jump, but enough to give the German a six-point edge.

Japan had been counting on Takanashi to end a gold medal drought. The country's last gold came at the 2006 Turin Games when Shizuka Arakawa won the ladies singles in figure skating.

"I couldn't jump the way I wanted to on both attempts." Takanashi said. "I came here wanting to do my best. I'm incredibly disappointed."

Sarah Hendrickson, the 19-year-old defending world champion from Park