Johannes Lamparter in Riiber's footsteps

Johannes Lamparter was crowned overall World Cup winner in the Nordic Combined for the first time. The 21-year-old from North Tyrol secured the big crystal ball for the first time in his career at the season finale in Lahti on Saturday with eleventh place. The victory in Finland was won by World Cup dominator Jarl Magnus Riiber from Norway, jump winner Kristjan Ilves (+1,7 seconds) surprisingly came second ahead of the Norwegian Jens Luraas Oftebro (+55,0).

After finishing 24th in jumping in poor wind conditions, Lamparter started a race to catch up in the decisive 10 km cross-country race and crossed the finish line in eleventh place (+1.30,5 min.). This makes Lamparter the third Austrian overall World Cup winner after Klaus Sulzenbacher (1987/88 and 1989/90) and Felix Gottwald (2000/01).

Johannes Lamparter (left) and Jarl Magnus Riiber (right). © ANSA / KIMMO BRANDT

Lamparter replaced Norwegian Jarl Magnus Riiber as overall World Cup winner after Riiber won four times in a row. After a low point in January due to illness and poor form, he put everything on the World Cup card and was rewarded with four gold medals, but skipped the World Cup because of it. Lamparter is aware that there will be a lot more to be expected from the Norsker in the coming World Cup mid-season. Lamparter: “I’ll make sure I close the gap.”

The Austrian is of course four years younger than Riiber and exactly the age at which his great rival won his first overall World Cup. Lamparter knows where he has to start in order to successfully defend his title next year: “There's a lot about ski jumping. There are other people who are better at jumping and people who are better at cross-country skiing than me. It means continuing to develop. But I still have enough time in my career.”

But there wasn't much to indicate this at the beginning of the winter; after five competitions, Lamparter was already more than 300 points behind the top. After the bad start, he was really consistent from January onwards. “That's what it's all about when you collect points. That was what makes me most proud. I often set the pace in cross-country skiing, which was a real strength. And I was able to really show off on the hill.”

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Johannes Lamparter in Riiber's footsteps

Johannes Lamparter from Northern Ireland won the overall Nordic Combined World Cup this Saturday. The Austrian follows the dominator of the last few seasons, Jarl Magnus Riiber.

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