Nordic Combined 101 - Individual Competition Formats

Nordic Combined is a sport that brings together Ski Jumping and Cross-Country skiing in a unique and challenging way.

Over the years, different competition formats have been developed to highlight various strengths and add variety to the events.

This “Nordic Combined 101” edition takes a closer look at the three main individual formats used in international competitions today: the traditional Gundersen, the newer Individual Compact, and the Mass Start. Each format has its own structure and strategy, offering a different experience for both athletes and spectators.

Individual Gundersen

In Nordic Combined, the Individual Gundersen is the traditional and most widely used competition format. It features two parts: Ski Jumping followed by a Cross-Country race. The results from Ski Jumping determine the starting order for the skiing.

Format Overview:

1st: Each athlete completes one jump from the hill. Their performance is scored based on distance, style wind and gate points.

2nd: The Ski Jumping scores are then converted into time differences (1 point = 4 seconds). The best jumper starts first in the cross-country race.

3rd: The rest of the field starts behind, with time delays based on how many points they lost in jumping.

The first athlete to cross the finish line in the cross-country race is the winner.

This format rewards well-rounded athletes—those who can both jump far and ski fast. It also creates dramatic chases during the skiing portion, as competitors try to catch the early starters. The Gundersen method remains the cornerstone of Nordic Combined, blending precision and endurance into one thrilling event.

Individual Compact

The Individual Compact was introduced in the 2023-24 World Cup season, to increase head-to-head excitement. This format uses fixed starting intervals in the cross-country race based on pre-set time differences from the jumping results to simplify the format and emphasize close finishes.

Format Overview:

1st: Each athlete completes one jump from the hill. Their performance is scored based on distance, style wind and gate points.

2nd: The Ski Jumping results are used to create the start list for the Cross-Country race using fixed starting times. The best jumper starts first in the cross-country race.

3rd: The rest of the athletes start the cross-country race based on their jump ranking: 2nd place starts 6 seconds behind, 3rd place 12 seconds, 4th place 17 seconds, and so on.
Athletes ranked 37th and lower start together in a wave 1 minute and 30 seconds after the leader, which is the maximum starting gap.

The first athlete to cross the finish line in the cross-country race is the winner.

Since the time gaps between starters are fixed and limited, strong ski jumpers cannot gain a large advantage. This makes the format especially rewarding for strong cross-country skiers, as the race often comes down to head-to-head competition on the track.

Mass Start

In Nordic Combined, the Mass Start is a special competition format that flips the usual order of events.
Unlike the traditional format, where athletes first jump and then ski based on their jump result, the Mass Start begins with all athletes starting the cross-country race together.

Format Overview:

1st: All athletes start the cross-country race together in a pack (hence "mass start").

2nd: The time differences from the ski race are then converted into points.

3rd: These points determine the starting order for Ski Jumping, with the best skier jumping last. Each athlete completes one jump from the hill. Their performance is scored based on distance, style, wind and gate points, plus/minus the points they earned in the Cross-Country race.

The athlete who is leading after all athletes have jumped is the winner.

With all athletes beginning the cross-country race together, pack skiing becomes a key tactical element, allowing even moderate skiers to stay close to the front.
This means that strong Ski Jumpers often benefit from this format, as the race rarely creates large time gaps. In the end, the jumping round becomes decisive, giving technically skilled jumpers the edge in the final ranking.

With three distinct Individual competition formats, Nordic Combined showcases a unique blend of tradition and innovation.

The classic Gundersen format offers a balanced challenge, rewarding both strong jumpers and skiers. The Mass Start shifts the advantage to powerful jumpers, while the innovative Compact format favors strong skiers by limiting the time gaps after jumping. Since the 2023-24 season, the Mass Start has had its own small crystal globe, and starting in 2024-25, the Compact format does as well - making these alternative formats even more important for athletes chasing overall success.

This variety ensures that every athlete can play to their strengths - making the sport not only demanding and dynamic for competitors, but also thrilling and unpredictable for spectators.