Nordic Combined – World Championship Rehearsal Without a Podium Finish for the ÖSV Team

In the latest World Cup meeting in Otepää, conducted as a general rehearsal for the World Championships in Trondheim (scheduled from February 27 to March 9, 2025), Austria’s Nordic combined squad faced a challenging test of form. Johannes Lamparter delivered the best result for the ÖSV men, finishing fifth in the compact competition over a 7.5 km course, although he was edged out in the final sprint by German rider Vinzenz Geiger. Lamparter, who had to fight for fourth place in the sprint against Wendelin Thannheimer, admitted that his jump performance was not at its best, attributing his result partly to a lingering knee injury from last summer.

The focus now shifts to fine-tuning performance before the World Championships. Lamparter is set to continue his training in Seefeld next week, with further preparations scheduled in Oberstdorf on the ski jumps as part of the team's comprehensive build-up. On the men’s side, Thomas Rettenegger, who finished sixth, expressed a desire to improve his jumping technique, while Geiger’s performance brought him just 81 points behind overall leader Jarl Magnus Riiber in the World Cup standings. On the women’s side, Claudia Purker marked her season-best result by finishing fifth on Saturday but was unable to break into the top ten this time, and her teammate Nathalie Armbruster remains ahead in the standings.

As the season progresses, with additional individual competitions planned in Oslo and Lahti after the World Championships, all eyes will be on whether these athletes can convert their preparation into podium finishes at the highest level of international competition.