After the Continental Cup last week, the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup is now returning to Lahti (FIN) from March 24th to 26th.
And this weekend will be a very special one!
The Lahti Ski Games were held for the first time in 1923, so the organizer is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The special celebrations will be crowned by a packed program that includes the World Cup finals for Nordic Combined, Cross-Country and women’s Ski Jumping.
Nordic Combined fans can look forward to a Team Sprint on Friday and two Individual Gundersen events on Saturday and Sunday before the coveted overall crystal globes are awarded on the main stage after the final competition to the best athletes of the 2022/23 season.
After their successful performances at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica (SLO), the Norwegians are considered the top favorites for the podium once again.
Jarl Magnus Riiber was able to win every single event he competed in in Slovenia and will do everything to achieve a good placement in Lahti as well, although he doesn’t have a chance to win the Overall World Cup anymore.
For Jens Luraas Oftebro, who is currently 3rd in the Overall ranking, it is important to collect as many points as possible this weekend in order to still have a chance to overtake Julian Schmid.
The German is currently in placed second and can already book the current season with 3 Individual victories as the most successful of his career.
Meanwhile, Overall World Cup leader Johannes Lamparter, who finished third in Lahti last year, will do his best to defend the yellow bib until the final on Sunday. Franz-Josef Rehrl could team up with Lamparter for Friday’s sprint, to bring Austria a top finish also in the Nations Cup ranking, where they are currently second behind Germany.
With Estonian Kristjan Ilves and local hero Ilkka Herola, two other candidates are vying for the podium places, so exciting competitions can be expected on Lahtis Salpausselkä HS 130 and in the World Championship stadium from 2017.
