A big Nordic Combined weekend in Trondheim coming up

It has been in 2008 that citizens of Trondheim were able to enjoy a full Nordic Combined weekend for the last time, a statistic that will be updated on the upcoming weekend when the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup returns for two Individual Gundersen events held Saturday and Sunday. Hosting mid-week events in the past five years, residents of Trondheim can finally cheer on their local heroes outside of work days.

And Trondheim does have local heroes aplenty: Most of the Norwegian Nordic Combined national team of the past years have their homes in Trondheim, among them Jan Schmid, Jørgen Graabak, Magnus Moan, Magnus Krog and rising star Espen Bjørnstad.

For the Norwegian athletes, the upcoming weekend is of central importance: Not only can employ their home advantage in the quest for good results but one place on the Norwegian World Championship team for Seefeld 2019 is still up for grabs and will be decided after the upcoming weekend.

Espen Andersen, Magnus Krog, Magnus Moan and youngster Jens Lurås Oftebro, who currently fights for medals at the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Lahti (FIN) are still in the running for the last coveted spot. Three of those athletes are World Championship medal decorated already, yet only one of them has the chance to make the cut in the end.

As an applicant for FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in the future, Trondheim is currently undergoing the first building measures to update and improve the venue. The most visible change this year: A newly designed finish area will take the last metres of the fight even closer to the spectators on the grandstand.

In the past, Trondheim has been good to German superstar Eric Frenzel, who has been struggling with his jumping shape in the past few weeks, and who will test new skis and boots in Trondheim to try and return to old strength. Not on start in Trondheim will be TRIPLE winner Mario Seidl who caught a cold after his big triumph and therefore had to skip the upcoming competitions. Philipp Orter replaces him on the Austrian squad.

As every year in Trondheim, the Viessmann FIS World Cup is joined by the FIS Youth Cup, in which boys and girls in two age categories compete for the overall victory in the 2018/19 season. An Individual Gundersen event is on schedule and the Mass Start makes its FIS Youth Cup debut on Sunday. Also this season, World Cup sponsor Viessmann supported also the young stars of the discipline with presents going to the top three athletes in each category in a joint Prize Giving Ceremony with the World Cup athletes.

The programme

Friday, 25.01.
10:00 Official Cross-Country training
16:00 Official training HS 138
18:00 Provisional Competition Round/Qualification HS 138

Saturday, 26.01.
09:30 Trial Round HS 138
10:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 138
14:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Sunday, 27.01.
08:00 Trial Round HS 138
09:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 138
12:15 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

(Local times = CET)

Timetable subject to change!

Quick Facts

HILL
Granaasen
HS 138

TRACK
Granaasen
2 km free-technique loop
Total climb: 390 metres
Maximum climb: 40 metres
Height Difference: 40 metres

LAST YEAR’S PODIUM
IG I: 1. Eric Frenzel (GER), 2. Akito Watabe (JPN), 3. Fabian Rießle (GER)
IG II: 1. Fabian Rießle (GER), 2. Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR), Eero Hirvonen (FIN)

Program Youth Cup Trondheim

Saturday, 25.01.
09.00 Trial Round K60 girls
09.30 IND. GUNDERSEN SJ K60 competition round girls
10.00 Official training round K60 boys
10.30 IND. GUNDERSEN SJ K60 competition round boys
12.15 IND. GUNDERSEN Cross-country girls, 3 km
12.45 IND. GUNDERSEN Cross-country boys, 4.5km

Sunday, 26.01.
09:00 MASS START Cross-country race 3km girls
09:30 MASS START Cross-country race 4.5 km boys
10.30 Official training round NC ski jumping K60 girls
11.00 MASS START SJ K60 competition round girls
11.30 Official training round NC ski jumping K60 boys
12.00 MASS START SJ K60 competition round boys

On Sunday, a joint prize giving ceremony for the overall top 3 of each Youth Cup category will take place after the World Cup race.