Joergen Graabak of Norway competes in the Nordic combined large hill/4x5km team event at the National Ski Jumping Center in Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)
Norway secured the Nordic combined team victory to claim its 14th gold medal at Beijing 2022.
CHONGLI, Zhangjiakou, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Norway won the Nordic combined large hill/4x5km team gold at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games here on Thursday.
Setting off eight seconds behind ski jumping leader Austria, the Norwegian quartet of Espen Bjornstad, Espen Andersen, Jens Luras Oftebro and Joergen Graabak finished the cross-country race in 50 minutes and 45.1 seconds for the victory, winning Norway's 14th gold at Beijing 2022.
"I'm really happy with my jump. It was my longest jump almost in this hill so I couldn't be more happy," said Bjornstad.
Bjornstad was selected to replace Jarl Magnus Riiber in the team event. Hot favorite Riiber squandered his lead in ski jumping large hill by taking the wrong turn in his 10km cross-country race on Tuesday with a disappointing eighth place finish.
"Jarl texted me quite soon after the [large hill/10km] race on and he told me to get ready," Bjornstad recalled.
Jens Luraas Oftebro of Norway, Lukas Greiderer of Austria and Watabe Akito of Japan (from L to R) compete in the cross-country round. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)
Germany took the silver in 51:40.0, edging Japan by 0.3 seconds.
"I know that for me the hardest part was the jumping hill. I felt good," German Eric Frenzel commented.
On his performance at a first competition since leaving COVID-19 isolation, Frenzel said, "It was a little bit of pressure that I had. I am really happy that I made a good jump, so I give a little bit back for the trust of the coaches."
Austria finished fourth in 51:44.7.
Austrian Franz-Josef Rehrl said: "I'm really proud to have shown the best jump in the team competition. The feeling of the jump was perfect. I'm pretty happy now."
Rehrl jumped 141m and got 127.5 points, the longest and highest scoring jump in the competition.
Host China finished 10th in 1:04:35.1. ■
