Hagen makes it three-in-a-row in Otepää to equal wins record
Jan 11, 2026·Nordic Combined
Ida Marie Hagen (NOR) equalled the all-time record for individual victories in the FIS women’s Nordic Combined World Cup as she further extended her lead in the overall standings with her third win of the weekend in Otepää and a sixth in seven events this season.
The 25-year-old, winner of the Crystal Globe in 2023-24, took her 23rd individual win overall in Sunday’s Compact, level with compatriot Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR), the two-time champion who is competing solely in Ski Jumping this season.
Hagen, starting the cross-country only 12 seconds behind Ingrid Laate (NOR), who again took victory on the hill, and six seconds behind Minja Korhonen (FIN), swiftly passed both athletes on the first uphill section, forging a 1.8-second lead over Korhonen inside the first kilometer.
By halfway through the 4km race – two laps of the course – she had stretched that to 11.5 seconds, with Alexa Brabec (USA) closing on Jenny Nowak (GER) for third place.
American Brabec, who trains with the Norwegian team, moved clear of Novak on the third kilometer, with Lisa Hirner (AUT), who started in 11th, making up ground into the top five, eventually finishing fourth.
But the relentless Hagen continued to keep the hammer down and won comfortably in 11:19.5, 26.1 seconds clear of Korhonen.
“I am really happy with this weekend,” said Hagen. “If you see my team-mates, the girls are really strong in pushing each other. We train a lot with the USA team and Alexa and Ingrid are so strong on the hill, so I just try to copy them."
Korhonen took her third podium of the weekend in second place. “It was something I wasn’t expecting and it has been a surprise to me but I am very happy,” said the 18-year-old.
Brabec, 21, (right, below) also maintained her consistent season with a fourth podium in seven events, having finished fourth on the first two days in Otepää.
She remains Hagen's closest challenger in the overall standings, albeit 140 points adrift.
“I think the team atmosphere has been really good this year and working with the Norwegians is so great,” she said. ”Being together with Ida and Marte [Leinan Lund] and Ingrid and the others, it is a really great community and we really lift each other up.”
Leinan Lund (NOR) finished fifth and there was also a notable performance from Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA), winner of the first ever women’s World Cup competition in December 2020.
The 32-year-old started the cross-country in 20th place, 58 seconds behind, but made her way up the field to finish sixth, her best result in five competitions since returning to Nordic Combined this season from biathlon.
Defending overall champion Nathalie Armbruster (GER), who finished fourth on the hill with a 93.0m jump for 106.9 points, was later disqualified for a suit infringement so was unable to start the cross-country.
Laate queen of the hill again
With the wind in Estonia’s winter capital finally relenting after two days in which no jumping was possible, the women were able to compete on the HS97 hill for the first time since Thursday’s PCR competitions.
Claudia Purker (AUT) laid down a marker for the leading contenders with the first 90-meter jump of the round earning her 104.2 points.
Nowak’s stylish 88.5m effort briefly took the lead with 105.1 points before Laate, the outstanding jumper in the women’s field, took to the hill.
The 18-year-old (below) soared out to 96.5m, three metres further than anyone else, to win the jumping round with 129.5 points.
But with the fixed time intervals in the Compact format, the overall contenders all delivered jumps to put themselves firmly in the podium mix.
Korhonen’s superb 93.5m effort, the second longest, brought her 112.4 points and second place on the hill and with Hagen’s excellent 93.0m jump (109.8 points) leaving her only 12 seconds back, the die was cast.
The women will return to World Cup action next weekend with two individual Gundersens in Oberhof, Germany.
Click here for full results from Sunday’s Compact.
