Jens Luraas Oftebro, Jarl Magnus Riiber and Kristjan Ilves on the podium. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

South Tyrol's Nordic combined athletes only supporting actors

On Saturday, two mass starts in the Nordic Combined were scheduled in Ramsau (Austria). The local athletes were denied a top placing.

20 December 2024

From: leo

The mass start is a new format in Nordic combined. It is not the jumping that takes place first, but the cross-country skiing. The men have to complete 10 kilometers, the women only 5. Jarl Magnus Riiber & Co. take the gaps with them to the ski jump, with a one-minute gap corresponding to 15 points.

In the men's cross-country skiing, the first four places all went to Norwegians: Jens Luraas Oftebro came in first ahead of Aleksander Skoglund, Joergen Graabak and Andreas Skoglund. Riiber lost 23 seconds, which meant he was around six points behind. Aaron Kostner from Ortisei put in a strong performance, coming in 13th.

jumping is cancelled

However, he was unable to capitalize on this excellent starting position, as after a jump of 82 meters he had to settle for 35th place. Riiber took the win thanks to a 96-meter jump ahead of Oftebro and Estonian Kristjan Ilves. Due to too much fresh snow in the run-off area, the jumps were canceled, and the provisional rounds from the previous day were counted.

Ida Marie Hagen won the women's race. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

A Norwegian also came top in the women's category. The superior cross-country winner Ida Marie Hagen did not let anyone take the butter off her bread in the ski jumping. The runner-up after the running, Gyda Westvold Hansen, was disqualified because her suit was too big. The Japanese Haruka Kasai and Minja Korhonen from Finland completed the podium. Daniela Dejori, who was not very good in either the running or the jumping, came in 22nd.