Battle of the legends at Lahti 2017 dress rehearsal

The Nordic Combined World Cup returns to action after the Christmas break and at the same time, a return to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship venue of Lahti, Finland means a very last dress rehearsal for the Nordic Combined athletes before the hunt for the medals begins in February.

With the fantastic black, red, golden start into the winter season, a winner with a different nationality than German has not stepped on top of the podium until now. Yellow bib bearer Johannes Rydzek is aware of the competition in his own team: „I like that we are able to test the hill and tracks in Lahti for one last time before the World Championships. It is a special honour to start this second World Cup period in the yellow bib but our training camp in Predazzo after Christmas showed me that I have to keep on pushing to defend this position - my own teammates are hot on my heels.“

While head coach Herrmann Weinbuch’s men are definitely gunning for more victories, competition comes from an unexpected quarter. The most successful Nordic Combined athlete of all times, Finland’s Hannu Manninen (4 times overall World Cup winner and a record of 48 individual victories) is set to make a comeback on this upcoming weekend.

Current dominators Eric Frenzel and Johannes Rydzek facing off against legend Manninen on the Finn’s home turf will surely be a sight to behold and also Norwegian shooting star Jarl Riiber will ease back into competition mode with one start on the upcoming weekend after battling through a long period of sickness. This setup unites Manninen who was one of the fastest athletes on the cross-country track with all-around talents Rydzek and Frenzel and Riiber who has lifted the jumping in Nordic Combined to a previously unknown level. End result: hard to predict.

**Find an extended interview with returnee Hannu Manninen on his motivations and goals for this season here.

Program (local times! CET + 1h)
Friday, 05.01.**

09:00 Official XC Training
13:00 Official Training HS 130
15:00 Provisional Competition Round / Qualification

Saturday, 06.01.

09:30 Trial Round HS 130
10:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 130
14:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Sunday, 07.01.

09:30 Trial Round HS 130
10:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 130
14:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Timetable subject to change!

Quick Facts:
HILL

Salpausselkä
HS 130

TRACK
Salpausselkä South Course
2,5 km free-technique loop
Total climb: 100 metres
Maximum climb: 43 metres
Height Difference: 56 metres