A week after the Nordic Combined, the women also started the World Cup season. At the start in Trondheim, Norway, Natalie Armbruster was able to celebrate her first podium finish of the season. She missed victory by just a blink of an eye.
The Norwegian Ida Marie Hagen pushed the tip of her ski faster across the finish line in the finish sprint. The American Alexa Brebac caused a surprise, storming into the top three for the first time in her career.
The 19-year-old Armbruster had put herself in an excellent starting position as third in the competition. As a result, she was only 1.08 seconds behind the Norwegian Ingrid Laate, who was leading after the jump, at the start of the cross-country skiing decision.
“I’m very happy with my jump and how things are going here“, Armbruster beamed before switching to the cross-country ski trail. Her teammates Ronja Loh (+2:04s), Jenny Nowak (+2:25) and Trine Göpfert (+2:28) followed in 11th, 12th and 14th place. Maria Gerboth was missing from the DSV squad after tearing her cruciate ligament in the summer.
Armbruster has enough grain for the podium
Armbruster quickly melted the lead of the 18-year-old Laate, who ended up eighth. Alexa Brabec from the USA also made it into the top trio. However, favorite Ida Marie Hagen stormed up from behind. At 3.7 kilometers the Norwegian took the lead and put the pressure on. Only Armbruster could follow. In the finish, the woman from the Black Forest had to admit defeat by a tiny 0.1 seconds. Brabec crossed the finish line in third place. The Austrian Katharina Gruber came fourth.
Nowak, Göpfert and Loh took their first World Cup points in 12th, 13th and 14th place and ensured a good team result.
Westvold Hansen missing because of Olympic dream
The Nordic combined athletes are not allowed to take part in the Olympics. That’s why Norwegian Gyda Westvold-Hansen, a four-time world champion, is missing from the World Cup. This season she is competing in the special jumpers to fulfill her dream of the Olympics.