The normal hill event - facts and figures
Aug 31, 2018·Nordic Combined
Eric Frenzel is aiming to defend his Olympic title in the individual Gundersen NH/10km on Wednesday 14 February at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre and Alpensia Cross-Country Centre.
FRENZEL is hoping to become the third athlete to successfully defend his Olympic title in the event after Ulrich WEHLING (GDR, 1972-1976-1980) and Johan GROETTUMSBRATEN (NOR, 1928-1932).
FRENZEL will be 29 years and 85 days old on the day of this event and could become the oldest Olympic champion in this event since 1964, when Tormod KNUTSEN (NOR) took gold at age 32.
Johannes Rydzek (GER), the reigning world champions in this event, and Fabian Rießle (GER) are also aiming for a medal. The last National Olympic Committee to sweep the Olympic podium in the individual Gundersen NH/10km was Norway in 1936.
RYDZEK could become the first current world champion in the event to claim Olympic gold since Tom SANDBERG (NOR) in 1984.
Ilkka HEROLA and Eero HIRVONEN (FIN) are both hoping to hand Finland its first Olympic title in this event since 2002, when Samppa LAJUNEN took gold in Salt Lake City.
Alessandro Pittin (ITA) already is the only Olympic medallist from Italy in Nordic combined,. He won bronze in the individual Gundersen NH/10km in 2010.
Jørgen Graabak and Jan Schmid are both aiming to hand Norway its 10th Olympic gold medal in this event, even though Schmid is impeded by a recent sickness. No other NOC has collected more than three Olympic titles in the individual Gundersen NH/10km.
Norway last claimed gold in the event at the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games, when Bjarte Engen VIK triumphed.
GRAABAK won the individual Gundersen LH/10km at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games and could become the second athlete to claim Olympic gold in both the individual large hill and normal hill after LAJUNEN in 2002.
GRAABAK could join LAJUNEN, WEHLING and Felix GOTTWALD (AUT) on a record three Olympic gold medals in Nordic combined.
Akito WATABE (JPN), who took silver in 2014, could become the first non-European Olympic champion in the individual Gundersen NH/10km.
The last time Japan won Olympic gold in Nordic combined was 1994 when Masashi ABE, Takanori KONO and Kenji OGIWARA won the team event.
WATABE could become the first athlete representing an Asian NOC to claim individual Olympic gold in Nordic combined.
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