2026 Olympic Games | Nordic Combined: two Germans to referee an Austria-Norway duel
Johannes Lamparter 🇦🇹
He is quite simply the number 1 in the world. This winter, the 24-year-old Austrian won six World Cup stages and was outside the top 5 on just two occasions. He is a very good jumper, which means that he is always at the front and regularly in contention for victory, as he will be on Wednesday when he starts just 20 seconds off the lead. In the World Cup rankings, he has a lead of almost 150 points over his runner-up.
Jens Luraas Oftebro 🇳🇴
The Norwegian is the best cross-country skier on the circuit. In the World Cup cross-country skiing rankings, he has more than 1,200 points, while the second-placed skier has 838. Unfortunately for him, his ski jumping ability means that he often starts too far from the front. But when he starts near the front, he regularly finishes on the podium, as he did at the Triple in Seefeld (Austria), which he won. This afternoon, he will start in contact with the other favourites, 21 seconds behind the leaders.
Julian Schmid 🇩🇪
The best German rider of the 2025/2026 season is not in top form at these Olympic Games. On the final stage in Austria, he finished ninth, while his compatriot Vinzenz Geiger finished on the podium. On the other hand, the small jump gundersen of the day is probably one of his favourite formats , as shown by his last two top 5 finishes. After a complicated jump, he started thirteenth in the pursuit.
Einar Luraas Oftebro 🇳🇴
In the shadow of his younger brother Jens Luraas, the Norwegian is nonetheless one of the favourites. Like his brother, he favours cross-country skiing and, with his fourth place in the jump, there is no doubt that he will be at the forefront of the medal race. In 2026, he never finished outside the top 4 in this small jump format.
Stefan Rettenegger 🇦🇹
He won the last individual race in Val di Fiemme in September. In his last race, he started in first position and covered the 10km solo before being caught in the final metres by Jens Luraas Oftebro. He was very touched and inconsolable. There’s no doubt that he’s coming to these Olympics with a desire for revenge. Fourth in the jump-off, he will start with Einar Luraas Oftebro, 20 seconds behind the leader, Kristjan Ilves.
Thomas Rettenegger, second in the jump, the reigning Olympic champion Vinzenz Geiger and the Finns Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen will also be keeping an eye on. The surprise of the day on the springboard, Estonia’s Kristjan Ilves will open the race with a lead of around fifteen seconds.
