King’s Cup up for grabs in Oslo

The second-but-last competition weekend of the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup is approaching fast and with one Individual Gundersen event on schedule, the big question of the weekend concerns who is going to receive the special prize that is traditionally on the line at Holmenkollen: the King’s Cup.

Usually handed out to only Norwegian citizens at their national championships in a wide variety of different sports, Nordic Combined a big exception in which, upon His Majesty’s request, also foreigners, namely the annual Holmenkollen winner, can take home the King’s Cup.

Norwegian Bjarte Engen Vik claimed the trophy seven times back in the late 1990s and next to him, Japanese superstar Akito Watabe has the largest collection of King’s Cups in recent years. He received one King’s Cup each at his four triumphs in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018. But also local hero Jarl Magnus Riiber, who lives in Oslo, already has one King’s Cup at home: he set his his maiden World Cup win in Oslo in 2016.

With an already secured overall World Cup victory and fresh off the normal hill World Champion title from Seefeld, Riiber can still surpass the record for most World Cup victories in one season. Currently, 10 victories are in Riiber’s account. The grand master of the discipline, Hannu Manninen, holds the record with 12 victories in 2006. Three more victories are up for grabs in Oslo and at the World Cup finals in Schonach (GER).

As Austrian TRIPLE winner Mario Seidl had to end his season early due to a knee injury and German superstars Eric Frenzel and Johannes Rydzek are both out of commission for the weekend due to illness, Riiber’s chances to delight his home crowd are definitely given.

Riiber’s teammate Magnus Moan will be on a different emotional journey of his own: the veteran has announced his career end at the end of the season and will therefore compete at his last World Cup event on home soil.

The programme

Friday, 08.03.
09:00 Official training HS 134
11:00 Provisional Competition Round/Qualification HS 134
13:30 Official training cross-country

Saturday, 09.03.
08:00 Trial Round HS 134
09:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 134 
13:30 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Timetable subject to change!

Quick Facts:

HILL
Holmenkollen
HS 134

TRACK
Holmenkollen Blue Course
4 x 2.5 km loop
Height Difference: 56 m
Maximum Climb: 32 m
Total Climb: 360 m

LAST YEAR’S PODIUM

1. Akito Watabe (JPN), 2. Fabian Rießle (GER), 3. Mario Seidl (AUT)