Nordic Combined: Riiber Unstoppable! Lamparter Finishes Fifth

Nordic Combined: Riiber Unstoppable! Lamparter Finishes Fifth

Jarl Magnus Riiber has once again demonstrated his supremacy in Nordic combined right from the World Cup kick-off. The Norwegian triumphed on Friday in the compact event, finishing ahead of Germans Vinzenz Geiger and Julian Schmid. Austrian skier Johannes Lamparter was the top finisher from his country, coming in fifth place. Other Austrian athletes unfortunately finished outside the top ten at the event in Ruka, Finland.

Due to wind complications, the jumping event scheduled for Friday morning was canceled, leading officials to use the results from the second PCR jump held on Thursday. In this jump, Riiber was the strongest competitor, leading into the 7.5 km cross-country race. Midway through the race, Lamparter, who started 17 seconds behind, managed to catch up to the Norwegian. However, despite his strong showing and leadership throughout the race, Lamparter ran out of steam near the finish line.

"My feet let me down a bit at the end. I still have a bit to do if I want to fight for the top spots. But it was a solid start, especially considering the preparation I went through," Lamparter stated. The athlete faced challenges during his training due to a knee inflammation but showed determination in Ruka.

Other Austrian competitors included Martin Fritz, who finished in twelfth, and Franz-Josef Rehrl, who came in just behind him in thirteenth. Thomas Rettenegger placed fifteenth, while his brother Stefan, who was second overall in last season's World Cup, struggled after a disappointing jump and finished in twenty-second place.

In the Individual Compact format, athletes race across the cross-country portion starting at predetermined intervals based on their jumping performance. This format will also be featured in the World Championships 2025 to be held in Trondheim.