Kasai surprises with World Championship Title - Armbruster misses Medal

Nordische Ski-WM: Kasai holt überraschend WM-Titel - Armbruster verpasst Medaille

The first surprise at the Nordic Ski World Championships has been confirmed. Japan's Yuna Kasai is the women's mass start champion in Nordic combined. Top favorite Gyda Westvold Hansen took silver, while Haruka Kasai, Yuna's twin sister, completed the podium.

The German competitors, led by Nathalie Armbruster, aimed for a medal on Thursday (February 27, 2025) but were unable to secure the desired results. After the 5 km cross-country race, Armbruster was in fourth place, still hopeful for a medal, but her jump performance couldn't propel her onto the podium.

"I was very satisfied with my race," Armbruster reflected. "But I had some struggles with the jump—it's different on a world championship stage, especially when carrying some expectations as a favorite." Ultimately, she finished in sixth place despite leading the overall World Cup standings after three individual wins this season. Her teammate, Jenny Nowak, performed well to finish fifth.

Japan pulls ahead of Norway

The medals were awarded during a thrilling finish. After the cross-country segment, two Norwegian women led the pack. Westvold Hansen was able to fight through to the finish with a small gap. Marte Leinan Lund finished second, while Yuna Kasai edged just behind to claim a surprising bronze.

Gold seemed guaranteed for the accomplished Westvold-Hansen, who had previously won all the possible championship titles. However, with a jump of 96.5 meters, Yuna Kasai surpassed her to take the top spot. Haruka Kasai's strong performance helped her rise from sixth place in the race to secure third.

Armbruster and Nowak make it to the top ten

Nowak, who came out of the cross-country race in 11th, was still in contention for a good finish. With a jump of 95 meters, she managed to secure a top ten finish. The 22-year-old from SC Sohland narrowly missed the podium by finishing fifth.

Armbruster aimed for a medal but could not overcome her deficit of about half a meter in jumping, ultimately placing sixth.

Also missing the podium: Hagen

Another contender, Ida Marie Hagen, the overall World Cup winner of 2024, also missed the target for a medal at the World Championships. She crossed the finish line in fifth place with a seven-second deficit in the race. She stumbled during the final ascent, losing critical time.

With only 1.8 points separating her from the podium, her jump of 83 meters wasn't enough. She finished a disappointing tenth overall.

The promising newcomer Trine Göpfert secured her position confidently. After winning three medals at the Junior World Championships, she was ranked 23rd at halftime but delivered a solid jump of 93.5 meters, finishing in 17th place. "I just wanted to enjoy the competition and I did," she smiled at the ZDF microphone.

For her teammate Maria Gerboth, however, things didn't go as planned. With a solid jump of 94.5 meters, she moved from 30th in the race to 21st place but was not satisfied, stating, "It was a really tough day for me; I struggled a lot in the race."

• Full results here
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Source: mla, zdf, dpa

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