Athlete of the Week: Espen Andersen (NOR)

Next to the ever-shining Eric Frenzel, sometimes it’s the more quiet performances, the smaller but nevertheless not less important success stories that impress on a Nordic Combined World Cup weekend. Norwegian Espen Andersen’s weekend in Val di Fiemme is one such success story.

Finishing the season 2015/16 with two Continental Cup victories in Klingenthal but in and out of the World Cup team, the season 2016/17 changed everything for the now 23-year-old: steady performances in the Top 15 and a fourth place now in Val di Fiemme, just one second off the podium, put Andersen firmly among the ten best Nordic Combined athletes right now. On top of that, he experienced how it is to be on the podium two times already: in Lillehammer with the full team and a second place and, for the first time ever, as winner together with teammate Jørgen Graabak in the Team Sprint, just one day after his career-best fourth place in the individual in Val di Fiemme.

For some weeks at the beginning of the season, Andersen, together with Jarl Riiber firmly in the rookie role in the team, suddenly found himself to be he top performer of the Norwegian squad. The way he handles his new level of performance is remarkable as well. Quiet and honest but with a wicked sense of dark humour, he answered when asked about his perspectives for Sunday’s event: „Oh I don’t know, I might be done for this weekend“, and then proceeded to follow up his two glory days with a still respectable 16th position, even though tired.

Frequent roommate and training partner Jarl Riiber predicted Andersen’s success as early as in Ruka this November: „I am training with him every day. I have seen his potential in the hill and also in the cross-country part. He is maybe the hardest one to beat on the final kilometre on skis, he’s very good there. I think he will surprise a lot in the jumping part this winter.“

With an illustrious name like „Espen Andersen“, the 23-year-old is all set to make his mark on the Nordic Combined world. Even if he is not related to the Nordic Combined athlete Espen Andersen, who won one World Cup event and two World Championship team medals in the 1980s.