Season culminates in Nordic Combined TRIPLE Seefeld

The Nordic Combined TRIPLE, the sole event highlight of the winter 2019/20 is finally here! Not only is it the first chance to win a prestigious trophy this winter, the occasion also marks the first time that the Nordic Combined athletes return to the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship venue of Seefeld (AUT) since the championships were held last year.

With only the TRIPLE trophy and the crystal globe for the overall World Cup victory up for grabs this winter, aspirants for one of the biggest wins this winter have already lined up: Dominator Jarl Magnus Riiber itches to add the TRIPLE trophy to his already impressive list of successes, especially given the fact that no Norwegian athlete has ever won it in the six years of its existence. With two gold medals and three medals in total to his name from last year’s championships, Riiber certainly is the top favourite to lift the TRIPLE trophy this year.

But also the local heroes from Austria are feeling the wind beneath their wings with a Team Sprint podium in Val di Fiemme but maybe even more importantly Franz-Josef Rehrl’s individual podium in Oberstdorf last Sunday. Also Rehrl has three Seefeld 2019 medals to his name and is keen to show top performances in front of his home crowd. The team will be competing without veteran Bernhard Gruber, who is still not fully recovered after a viral infection earlier in the year, which became very apparent in the cross-country race of the Team Event in Oberstdorf last weekend.

Even if Eric Frenzel’s performances this season were nothing to write home about so far, Nordic Combined fans would do well to remember the German’s four consecutive TRIPLE wins and the amazing number of 13 individual wins in his “living room” between 2010 and 2017.

The TRIPLE rules have been adapted slightly this year to include more athletes and to reduce the distances between them on the third day. As in past years, the event will open with a one jump, 5 km Individual Gundersen event on the first day, which will reduce the starting field to 50. All athletes take their results with them in the form of minus points for the ski jumping round on the second day and ski 10 km after the jumping round to complete Day 2.

Again, all athletes take their results with them to the third day but only the best 40 athletes will be allowed to start. They complete only one jump (not two as in previous years) and ski a final race of 15 km. Whoever crosses the finish line first, is the TRIPLE winner 2020.

You can find all TRIPLE rules, the World Cup point and Prize Money distribution in their entirety [here](http://TRIPLE rules: https://assets.fis-ski.com/image/upload/v1568898806/fis-prod/assets/WC-NC_1920-Rules_E-D.pdf (Point 4.3.)) and further details in the pdf below.

The Programme

Timetable may be subject to change! Local times = CET

Thursday, 30th January
10:00 Official Training HS 109
12:30 PCR  HS 109
14:30 Official cross-country training

Friday, 31st January
12:30 Trial Round
14:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN SJ HS 109
15:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 5 km cross-country race

Saturday, 1st February
11:45 Trial Round
13:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN SJ HS 109
16:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Sunday, 2nd February
11:15 Trial Round
12:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN SJ HS 109
14:40 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 15 km cross-country race