“To succeed in any sport, you have to be fearless!”

19-year-old Jens Lurås Oftebro has been the surprise of the season 2019/20 so far. After he showed his class with a sixth place at the World Cup event in Oslo in March 2019, he followed up with a tour de force in December 2019: ranks 3, 3, 3, 5, 6, 4, 13 and 6 and an overall fourth place in the World Cup standings speak a clear language of the level of performance of the new shooting star in Nordic Combined. In TUESDAY TALK, he spoke about results, goals and the importance of his brother Einar.

With three podium results already, you are the breakthrough athlete of the winter so far. Did you think before the season that you could perform on this level?

Jens Lurås Oftebro: The season started much better than expected, for sure. However, I preformed well in Holmenkollen last winter and Planica this summer, so I knew my potential. My pre-season went well with several good camps with the team, and I have luckily kept healthy and free from injuries. So I knew that this season could be a good one, but to start like this is just unbelievable.

What was amazing about your performances was your absolute fearlessness to race with and sprint against the big names of the sport. Would you say this is something that characterises you as an athlete?

Oftebro: I think to succeed in any sport you have to be fearless and treat all competitors the same, no matter what their names are. Earlier, I have struggled a bit in the end of the cross-county races, something that is very important in today’s Nordic combined competitions. Strong sprinters in our team like Jarl, Jørgen and especially my brother Einar have pushed me to become better in the final sprint. But I would still categorise myself as a better ski jumper than cross-country skier.

Speaking of strong jumping performances, in Ramsau, you won the jumping round for the first time. Is it something special to start your race with number 1 on your bib?

Oftebro: Of course it is special to race with number 1 on my bib, especially when I started alongside my teammates with the blue and yellow bibs. Personally, I was both very surprised and satisfied to win a jumping round in a K90 hill. I prefer larger hills but in Ramsau I proved that I can manage both.

Which kind of goals have you picked for the rest of the winter?

Oftebro: I have already performed better than my goals before this season but I still see still many good opportunities for me. I am really looking forward to my first Nordic Combined TRIPLE in Seefeld. My last FIS Nordic Junior World Championships in Oberwiesenthal (GER) are also a main objective this season.

Does it help to have the dominant athlete of this and last winter, Jarl Riiber, on your team? Like you, he started collecting great results at a young age. Is he some kind of a role model for you?

Oftebro: It is really nice to have an athlete like Jarl on our team. He knows how to perform well in this sport and he had some incredible results the last couple of years. I think his experience is beneficial for the entire team. He is a dedicated and a really clever athlete and of course a role model for me. He is almost unbeatable at the moment but I will do my best to close the gap and hopefully beat him one day.

You are one of the good number of athletes who has a brother on tour as well. Why do you think is it that so many siblings both do Nordic Combined? How is your relationship to your brother, in competition and out of it?

Oftebro: It’s difficult to say but it may be easier for siblings to motivate and push each other to reach the top. Einar is really important for me, and I think he would say the same about me. We train together all the time and we try to improve each other’s weaknesses.

It is also great to travel around the world with my big brother and best friend, supporting me no matter what. I hope that he soon is able to show what he is capable of. Then the Oftebrothers will be unbeatable (laughs).