The “Nordic Triple” in Seefeld is known as the “Mecca” of Nordic combination. The competition stands out above all because of its special format.
Three competitions in three days, three different distances and double World Cup points: From Friday to Sunday, the Nordic combined athletes will stop at the prestigious “Nordic Triple” in Seefeld.
Without the World Cup and the Olympic Games, the World Cup in Tyrol is the highlight of the season and is therefore often referred to as the “Mecca” for combined athletes.
The format
Above all, the format of the competitions makes the World Cup so special. Unlike conventional competitions, the winner is only determined after three days of competition have been completed.
All registered athletes will compete on Friday; separate qualification is not necessary. The running distance is 7.5 kilometers. The best 50 qualify for the competition on Saturday, where after jumping they go on to the 10-kilometer distance. The best 30 of the day will start on Sunday, the last day of the competition, and then run 12.5 kilometers.
Mistakes are not allowed: If someone is disqualified or cannot finish the competition, they will be excluded from the competition. Jumping will take place on a HS 109 meter jump throughout.
So it won’t be decided until Sunday afternoon who will take home the “triple trophy”. At the same time, the winner can also look forward to double the prize money.
The awarding of points
There are also differences in how points are awarded. For the competitions on Friday and Saturday, the combiners only receive half of the otherwise regular number of points. For a win you only get 50 points instead of 100. On Sunday the points will be distributed differently again. There are twice as many here: 200 instead of the usual 100.
Riiber favorite, Lamparter still questionable
The clear favorite should once again be Jarl Magnus Riiber. The Norwegian dominates the World Cup and clearly leads the overall standings. But the Austrian Stefan Rettenegger is also likely to have a chance of a top placement. The 21-year-old, who celebrates his birthday in front of his home crowd on Saturday, is impressive this season. Most recently he was on the podium five times in a row.
It is still unclear whether last year’s winner and local hero Johannes Lamparter will take part. The Tyrolean continues to struggle with health problems. If it is enough to take part, the 22-year-old still rules out defending his title: “It would be an absolute cold start. I wouldn’t think fighting for the podium would be realistic.”
German combiners are weakening
For the German combined athletes around Manuel Faißt, Johannes Rydzek, Julian Schmid, Vinzenz Geiger and Terence Weber, things are currently not going as planned. The team has little to do with podium finishes. Last weekend Geiger achieved a respectable success with a strong comeback in running, but otherwise the positive results this season are manageable. In the overall ranking, Faißt is the best German in seventh place.
Sportschau winter sports podcast, February 1st, 2024 12:00 p.m
Women have also been competing since 2023
Women have also been taking part in the competitions since last year. There will be two races in total. The running distance is 5 kilometers each. However, there are differences in the form of the competition:
Gundersen competition
On Friday the women start using the Gundersen method. Here the time intervals are determined based on the jump distances. Whoever jumps the furthest has the biggest advantage in cross-country skiing. All men’s jumping takes place using this method.
Individual Comapct
On Saturday the women will compete in their last competition in Seefeld. A 5-kilometer distance is also covered on the cross-country ski trail here. However, the time intervals are not determined based on the jumping distances, as in the Gundersen competition, but rather by the respective placement after jumping. The athlete who jumped the furthest gets six seconds ahead of the runner-up. The distances decrease towards the back.
This format particularly benefits strong running athletes like Ida Marie Hagen. The Norwegian is currently in outstanding form and was even able to take the lead in the overall World Cup last weekend ahead of her teammate Gyda Westvold Hansen.
Crossbowman with good chances
Nathalie Armbruster stands out from the German team. The 18-year-old impressed at her home World Cup in Schonach last weekend and celebrated a third and a fifth place. But Jenny Nowak, sixth overall in the World Cup, also has a chance of being at the front.