Beijing 2022 Nordic combined wrap-up – top stories, moments and records
From Joergen Graabak’s stunning comeback to Vinzenz Geiger’s surprise gold, take a look at Nordic combined’s most memorable moments at Beijing 2022, the best quotes and all the medals.
Nordic Combined
The Nordic combined is designed for climactic finishes where two different sports collide, producing drama to the max. The Beijing 2022 competition delivered its fair share of surprise victories, costly meanderings, and inspirational comebacks.
Norway’s Joergen Graabak bounced back from the disappointment of PyeongChang 2018 to reclaim the individual Gundersen large hill/10km title he won at Sochi 2014. The 30-year-old Graabak also tasted success in the normal hill expanding his Olympic medal tally to six.
Vinzenz Geiger of Germany timed his race to perfection, producing a late surge to win his first individual Nordic combined gold medal. The 24-year-old upset the applecart to clinch the normal hill gold medal making it his second title since winning the team event at PyeongChang 2018.
Graabak's campaign came to a climactic conclusion when he anchored Norway to victory in the team event sending both him and his country into the record books.
Top 3 moments
1- Graabak reclaims gold eight years later
Graabak’s sensational return to the top of the podium in the large hill eight years since he won double gold in Sochi 2014 was a confluence of circumstances.
Pre-Games favourite Jarl Magnus Riiber started the cross-country section in pole position a day after being released from his quarantine hotel after recovering from COVID-19. Riiber built up a healthy lead and looked set for an inspirational win before he took a wrong turn 2.5km into the course.
Riiber turned around but left himself too much to do with Graabak finishing strong to overtake the leaders and claim the victory in a dramatic sprint to the finish.
2- Victorious German Vinzenz Geiger
Vinzenz Geiger came into Beijing 2022, itching to get his hands on an individual medal after winning gold in the team competition in the Republic of Korea four years ago.
The German exceeded even his own expectations when he found an extra gear after starting the cross-country leg in 11th place. Geiger produced an epic final lap of skiing to turn a minute-and-a-half deficit into a first individual gold medal.
3 - A clutch of firsts
Graabak capped a spectacular showing at Beijing 2022 when he anchored Norway to a record third Nordic combined gold medal in the team event.
He raced into the history books, becoming the first man to win four Olympic gold medals in the sport adding the team title to that in the large hill in a repeat of his Sochi 2014 feat. He is only the second athlete to win medals in all three of the Nordic combined events at a single Games.
Germany finished second in the team event giving Eric Frenzel his seventh career Olympic medal matching Felix Gottwald of Austria’s record in the Nordic combined.
What they said
"This was never the goal but you have a dream when you come to the Olympics. I knew it was all about keeping focus and doing my work so I haven't been thinking so much about the results, just been trying to jump well and ski well. To be able to get the silver and now the gold, I'm really proud, I'm really happy, and it's a bit above my expectations."
Joergen Graabak, expressing his surprise about winning gold and silver in the individual events.
"It's unreal, I don't know how I managed it. I tried to push hard and I had really, really fast skis. My service guys did the perfect job. I didn't imagine a medal. A gold medal is crazy. The team success (in PyeongChang 2018) was very special, and today is also very special. I did not think about it (winning) and I cannot believe it."
First-time individual champion Vinzenz Geiger on his surprise victory in the large hill.
"It's a silly mistake and it's not fun to show the world that I'm maybe wasting a gold medal on that.
"It's silly to do that mistake but on a normal day with that mistake as well I would be in the fight, I'm a good sprinter and I would fight for the gold anyway."
Jarl Magnus Riiber reflecting on his costly mistake in the large hill competition a day after being released from COVID-19 isolation.
Full medal list in Nordic combined at Beijing 2022
Individual Gundersen normal hill/10km:
Gold: Vinzenz Geiger (Germany)
Silver: Joergen Graabak (Norway)
Bronze: Lukas Greiderer (Austria)
Individual Gundersen large hill/10km:
Gold: Joergen Graabak (Norway)
Silver: Jens Luraas Oftebro (Norway)
Bronze: Watabe Akito (Japan)
Team Gundersen large hill/4x5km:
Gold: Norway
Silver: Germany
Bronze: Japan