Lamparter doubles up in Lahti to clinch third overall behind new champion Geiger

Originally published in FIS on March 22, 2025

Johannes Lamparter (AUT) made it a double triumph in Lahti (FIN) on the final day of the Viessman FIS Nordic Combined World Cup season as he followed up Friday’s win with another commanding Gundersen victory to seal third place in the overall standings.

The 2022-23 overall champion earned a 13-second lead for the cross-country after a superb 134.5m jump – the longest of the day - on the HS130 hill. Lamparter doubled his advantage on the first 2.5km loop before Julian Schmid (GER) and Laurent Muhlethaler (FRA) gradually ate into his lead over the next two laps, but they couldn’t get closer than around 13 seconds after 7.5km.

The 23-year-old Austrian stepped on it again to ultimately win comfortably in 23:09.0, 21.2 seconds clear of Schmid in second - his eighth podium of the season – and Muhlethaler, who earned only his second World Cup podium and first since Schonach two years ago.

I was able to really enjoy the last lap - we had an amazing crowd in the last corner. Hopefully I can take this good feeling into the summer break. I am really motivated with an Olympics season ahead of us.” – Johannes Lamparter

Only two points clear of Schmid in the overall standings heading into the final two competitions, the 23-year-old ultimately finished 32 points clear, the fourth successive year he has finished in the top three.

Despite a World Cup win proving elusive for a second successive season and missing out on the top three overall, Schmid declared himself happy with a fourth second place of the winter, after finishing third on Friday.

“It was a really good last weekend for me,” he said. “I struggled yesterday in the cross-country but today was much better. Johannes was a bit too strong today in the tracks; he deserved to win and to end in third place. But I am also satisfied with my season.”

Muhlethaler also finished on a high, a superb 128.5m jump on the hill giving him the platform to launch a podium charge, after a fifth place in Oslo last weekend.

It was a really great day for me. I started the season with two broken ribs and I finish it on the podium. My team did an amazing job. It is a beautiful day.” – Laurent Muhlethaler

Home hero Ilkka Herola, starting 37 seconds behind in eighth, quickly moved up to fifth and attacked on the second loop, closing to within a few seconds of the chasing trio of Schmid, Muhlethaler and Terence Weber (GER).

Herola caught Weber to move into fourth but the Finn’s efforts caught up with him on the third lap, losing 10 seconds as he briefly dropped to sixth while Schmid and Muhlethaler pushed on ahead.

Again roared on by a partisan crowd, Herola found his second wind to launch a final-lap charge but left himself too much to do to make the podium and had to settle for fourth, as Schmid shook off Muhlethaler to claim second.

Lamparter took the lead with a 134.5m jump and earned the points to assure his place on the top of the standings. Geiger was presented with his first Crystal Globe after succeeding the great Jarl Magnus Riiber, who decided not to compete in Lahti after bowing out in Oslo last weekend.

“It is so amazing. I will have to wait a little bit of time to believe it. It is crazy how fast everything has gone this year. There were so many highlights. I am super proud.” – Vinzenz Geiger

Click here for full results from Saturday’s Gundersen: results link