Olympic Games 2026: Jens Luraas Oftebro takes gold after a thrilling finish
Ida Marie Hagen was not invited to the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan/Cortina because there was no women’s Nordic combined event. But her compatriot Jens Luraas Oftebro paid her a fitting tribute during the cross-country race in the small jump gundersen on Wednesday 11 February in Tesero (Italy). Oftebro led the field for the vast majority of the race, before taking gold at the finish line. It was the first Olympic title on small springboard for a Norwegian since 1998.
Starting alone in the lead after his surprising victory in the jumping competition, Estonia’s Kristjan Ilves led the way at the start of the race. Unconcerned about the group of nine chasing him, he followed his own pace. From 15 seconds in the starting gate, his lead had increased to 23 by the quarter-hour mark. Finally caught at the halfway stage, he finally cracked at the start of the fourth lap and finished 6th.
Ilkka Herola, Finland’s first medal in 20 years
After a tactical first lap, the pace increased considerably under the impetus of Jens Luraas Oftebro. He accelerated on the main climb, and his brother Einar Luraas Oftebro and Austrian rider Thomas Rettenegger broke away. With the leading group reduced to seven, tension gradually built up. The Finn Eero Hirvonen and the future Olympic champion collided on the third lap.
In the final loop, he made a sharp attack with 2km to go. Experienced overall leader Johannes Lamparter caught up with him a kilometre later, but was unable to follow. The reason was simple: he couldn’t keep up with him. On the home straight, Jens Luraas Oftebro produced enough of an effort to win ahead of the Austrian and Finn Eero Hirvonen, who broke away on the final climb. The latter scored his first podium on the world circuit for eight years, and became his country’s first podium finish in a combined race for two decades.
No Frenchman in the top 20
Unable to keep up with the medallists in the final, Austria’s Stefan Rettenegger finished 4th (+17 sec), ahead of Finland’s Ilkka Herola (5th, +22 sec). Germans Johannes Rydzek, Vinzenz Geiger and Julian Schmid finished 8th (+1 min 08), 10th (+1 min 52) and 14th (+2 min 56). These large gaps are likely to be confirmed in the Gundersen big hill event and the team event, as the track is proving so difficult.
The best Frenchman, Marco Heinis, finished outside the top 20 (22nd, +4 min 11). He was ahead of Maël Tyrode (+4 min 36), who gained three positions (25th). Laurent Muhlethaler had another difficult race, crossing the line 29th (+5 min 47).
The full rankings for the small jump gundersen
NCBMNH10KM-__C73B4_1.0- Two disciplines, big lifts, a future in danger… All you need to know about Nordic combined skiing
- Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium: everything you need to know about the Val di Fiemme stadium, which hosts the Nordic combined events at the Milan/Cortina Olympic Games
- Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium: everything you need to know about the venue hosting the Nordic combined events at the Milan/Cortina Olympic Games
- The full Nordic combined programme at the Milan/Cortina Olympic Games
- Why are there no women’s events in Nordic combined?
- “What I miss is being a man”, says Léna Brocard for Nordic Magazine: Nordic combined, still the only Olympic event without women
- “We really need to make the most of it together”: the French Nordic combined team spoke before the start of the Olympic events
- Why Nordic combined is staking its Olympic future on Milan/Cortina
- Nordic Combined: big surprise for Kristjan Ilves, in the lead after the jump off the small hill gundersen
- Nordic Combined: Kristjan Ilves, leader in jumping, can also prove formidable in cross-country skiing
- Nordic Combined: after the jumping competition, who are the favourites for the Olympic title on the small hill?
