Jarl Magnus Riiber Skips Team Event at Beijing Olympics

Jarl Magnus Riiber, the star of Nordic combined, will leave Beijing without any medals. The Norwegian will not compete in the team event scheduled for Thursday during the Olympics. Norway will participate with Jörgen Graabak, the Olympic champion on large hill, Jens Luraas Oftebro, Espen Andersen, and Espen Bjoernstad.

Having been a favorite before the start of the Games (having won the last three World Cup editions), the 24-year-old Norwegian will be remembered as one of the disappointments of the 2022 Games. He tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival in China and spent 13 days in isolation, missing the normal hill event before finally being released from his hotel room on Monday.

The next day, Riiber participated in the large hill event, where he won the ski jumping portion. However, during the 10 km cross-country race, while leading, he took a wrong turn and finished eighth. After this race, Riiber questioned his participation in the team event, the last event on the Nordic combined program in Beijing.

"Let's see if I make it through today alive," he said on Tuesday. "It’s possible that I may have contracted a small illness."