Jens Luraas Oftebro holds off Lamparter for Gundersen Normal Hill gold

Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR) held off World Cup leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT) and overcame a clash with Eero Hirvonen (FIN) during the Cross-Country race to win the first Nordic Combined event at Milano Cortina 2026 Individual Gundersen Normal Hill/10km at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium on Wednesday.

The last lap of the race provided an exciting finale as Oftebro broke away early but was unable to shake Lamparter, with Oftebro finishing in 29 minutes and 59.4 seconds, one second ahead of his Austrian rival in second.

Both Oftebro and Hirvonen did well to make the podium, with the Finn finishing with bronze, having clashed with each other at the after the halfway mark and Oftebro hitting the hoardings, temporarily losing his momentum.

“It's an amazing feeling,” Oftebro said of his win. “It was a really tough course and loose conditions, so it’s really a tough race.

“I almost crashed in the third loop where there was so much happening, so I felt pretty OK and was happy that I could get a gap in the last climb so I could reach the finish line first.

Despite being one of the favourites for gold, Lamparter said: “I’m really happy about this medal. It was not an easy race, the conditions were really tough with deep snow. The last two days I was thinking I may not be good enough in those conditions, so I am really relieved after that.

“The jumping hill was really close this morning. We were all close together with very tight gaps. It was a very hard race – like a selection – but the best won at the end.

“I have had a really good season but the Olympics was the highlight. So to be on point today was really great.”

Hirvonen made a brave push from the chasing pack towards the end, seemingly not satisfied with fighting it out for bronze and looking to fight for the top two medals right to the end, before finishing 2.5 seconds behind Lamparter.

The competition round of the Ski Jumping at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium was won by Estonia’s Kristjan Ilves, who made a distance of 99m and together with compensation points for jumping in the most difficult conditions gained a 15 second advantage over the rest of the field for the start of the 10km race.

He was followed by Thomas Rettenegger (AUT) and Ryota Yamamoto (JPN), with the eventual medal winners Oftebro starting in seventh, Lamparter in sixth and Hirvonen in 10th.

Oftebro’s brother Einar Luraas was unable to capitalise on his fourth starting position from the ski jump, eventually finishing in 12th. The other brother in the mix, Thomas Rettenegger’s sibling Stefan, had similarly put himself in fifth, but finished the 10km in ninth.

The defending Olympic champion Vinzenz Geiger (GER) will have been disappointed with his 10th place finish, having started the 10km race in eighth just behind the new Olympic champion Jens Luraas Oftebro and initially moving up to fourth at the 2.5km mark, before falling away on the final lap.

Italy’s Samuel Costa, who had come out of retirement to compete at his home Olympics, said after the Normal Hill: “It’s really special. I live one hour from here, my friends and family are all here, and it’s something unique that will live with me for the rest of my life.” He finished in 13^th with his recent form having dipped before Milano Cortina 2026.

For full results of the Individual Gundersen Normal Hill/10km click here. For the full Nordic Combined schedule for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games click here.