Nordic Combined Day Two – Wind Plays a Big Part In The Competition Again

The second competition day of the Nordic combined is scheduled to begin, just like on Friday, with ski jumping at 11:15 AM. Friday’s strong performances in the hill give a good indication of what to expect on Saturday, but due to the weather conditions, it’s best not to count anyone out. We will be watching closely to see whether the results from Friday’s provisional competition round will remain in effect for Saturday’s Gundersen event if the winds at Ruka’s hill do not calm down during the morning.

Weather conditions can indeed vary both between the competition days and even between individual jumps in Ruka’s windy environment, and it’s clear that luck also plays a role when setting the stage for the evening’s 10 km Gundersen start.

Friday’s jumping portion and its conditions caused difficulties for the Norwegian jumpers, particularly for Jens Luraas Oftebro, who surely had hoped for a more favourable starting position for the cross-country leg. From a Finnish perspective, Ilkka Herola’s jump looked promising, considering how much he has criticised the Ruka hill in the past.

Germany’s Julian Schmid showed his danger on the cross-country course yesterday, and Johannes Lamparter will certainly feel the German breathing down his neck if Schmid manages to put together a strong jump.

If the provisional results from Friday remain in force, Eemeli Kurttila would surprisingly be the first Finn to head out onto the track.

Text: Miko Köykkä
Photo: Sanni Pirttikoski