Volavsek and Herola are FIS Summer Grand Prix champions 2022

Ema Volavsek and Ilkka Herola are the FIS Summer Grand Prix champions 2022.

In four Individual events each, the two prevailed against the strong competition thanks to their overall performance.

For both Volavsek and Herola, the Grand Prix started with a victory in Oberwiesenthal (GER).
The Slovenian, who placed 5th after jumping reduced her 33 second distance to Minja Korhonen from Finland already within the first 1.3 km to 22 seconds. She took over the lead at the 2.5 km mark and defended her lead through the difficult uphill part to the top of the Fichtelberg. Volavsek reached the finish line 2.9 seconds ahead of Korhonen on rank 2 and secured her first ever Summer Grand Prix win.

On the men’s side, Ilkka Herola jumped the furthest distance of the day with 104.5 meters (126.5 pts). The Finnish took the third place after the Ski Jumping round at the Fichtelbergschanze, 33 seconds behind leader Ryota Yamamoto from Japan.

At the 7.5 km mark, Herola had reduced his distance to only 16 sec and continued to fight his way up, before going into the final climb to the Fichtelberg. 
He reached the finish 3.6 seconds before German Johannes Rydzek, securing his 4th Individual victory in a Summer Grand Prix.

Oberwiesenthal, 28.8.2022
1. Ema Volavsek (SLO)
2. Minja Korhonen (FIN)
3. Nathalie Armbruster (GER)

1. Ilkka Herola (FIN)
2. Johannes Rydzek (GER)
3. Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT)

Results: Ind. Women HS105/5km – 28.8.22 Oberwiesenthal
Results: Ind. Men HS105/10km – 28.8.22 Oberwiesenthal

The second Individual event took place in Oberstdorf (GER), on 31st August. 
Volavsek and Herola both started in the yellow bib, as overall Grand Prix leaders, while the Slovenian was also owner of the red bib as Best Skier. 
The 19-year-old placed 3rd again, after the Ski Jumping round with 98 meters and 115.1 points and went into the Night Race through Oberstdorf 46 seconds after leader Gyda Westvold Hansen from Norway. 
While last years dominator secured the victory at her first Grand Prix participation 2022, Volavsek beat Nathalie Armbruster and took rank 2, 58.4 seconds behind Hansen, defending her overall lead.

Herola showed another strong Ski Jumping performance with 126.5 meters and placed third after the Ski Jumping round, 1:15 minutes behind Ryota Yamamoto from Japan and Austrias Franz-Josef Rehrl. The finn couldn't hold his position despite a good start and dropped back to 5th place (+56.1 sec). The victory went to Rehrl, who also took the yellow bib from Herola in the overall ranking.

With Norway, Germany, Finland, Austria, Japan and Finland, a total of 6 nations reached the podium in Oberstdorf.

Oberstdorf, 31.8.2022
1. Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR)
2. Ema Volavsek (SLO)
3. Nathalie Armbruster (GER)

1. Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT)
2. Ryota Yamamoto (JPN)
3. Eero Hirvonen (FIN)

Results: Ind. Women HS106/5km – 31.8.22 Oberstdorf
Results: Ind. Men HS137/10km – 31.8.22 Oberstdorf

The final of the 2022 FIS Nordic Combined Grand Prix took place in Tschagguns and Partenene (AUT) on 3rd and 4th September. Two Individual events were to decide the winners of this year's summer series.

With a jump on 86 meters, Volavsek did not get off to a good start and had to go into the race from 10th place, 1:04 min behind leader Nathalie Armbruster. 
The young German managed a start-finish victory ahead of her teammate Jenny Nowak (+25.4 sec) and Austrias Lisa Hirner (+32.5 sec), while Volavsek also showed another good rollerski race and worked her way up to 5th place (+37.4 sec). However, in the overall ranking, her lead over Armbruster shrank to 5 points before the final on Sunday.

Herola's start in rainy Tschagguns was also anything but optimal. With a 7th place after Ski Jumping, he went into the 10km race 19 seconds behind leader Martin Fritz from Austria. 
In a thrilling race, however, the 27-year-old Finn managed to work his way up the field, beating Fritz, who by then had been also passed by Jens Luraas Oftebro, in a tight sprint. Herola secured another podium finish, 5.3 seconds behind the Norwegian, and fought back the yellow bib from Rehrl (+26.9 sec, 15. rank).

Tschagguns, 3.9.2022
1. Nathalie Armbruster (GER)
2. Jenny Nowak (GER)
3. Lisa Hirner (AUT)

1. Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR)
2. Ilkka Herola (FIN)
3. Martin Fritz (AUT)

Results: Ind. Women HS108/5km – 3.9.22 Tschagguns
Results: Ind. Men HS108/10km – 3.9.22 Tschagguns

The finals of this year's Grand Prix took place on Sunday in bright sunshine.
Ema Volavsek reached 98 m (101.6 pts) in the Montafon Nordic Ski Center and finished the Ski Jumping round on 6th place with a 57 sec distance to leader Gyda Westvold Hansen, who had been disqualified the day before due to an irregular suit.
The Norwegian ran a lonely race at the top and kept her pursuers at a safe distance, while Volavsek, who was still the womens Best Skier at this point, showed another strong catch-up race and finished third, 43 seconds behind winner Hansen and Minja Korhonen (+25.8 sec) on rank 2.

In the men’s final competition, Ilkka Herola (92 m, 104.8 pts) suffered difficult wind conditions on the hill and finished 19th, 55 seconds behind French leader Laurent Muhlenthaler (102 m, 117.4 pts).

In the end, a 15th place was enough for the Finn to defend his overall lead.
The day's win in Partenen went to his teammate Eero Hirvonen ahead of Austrias Stefan Rettenegger (+3.8 sec) and Muhlethaler (+6.3 sec).

Therewith, Herola was able to defend his Grand Prix title from 2021 with a total of 241 points, ahead of Franz-Josef Rehrl (187 pts) and Stefan Rettenegger (170 pts) from Austria. Eero Hirvonen, who was ranked 2nd overall in terms of points, fell out of the standings because he did not start in Oberwiesenthal.
Ema Volavsek clinched her first overall victory in the FIS Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix with 285 points, ahead of youngsters Nathalie Armbruster (260 pts) and Minja Korhonen (250 pts).

Tschagguns, 4.9. 2022 
1. Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) 
2. Minja Korhonen (FIN)
3. Ema Volavsek (SLO)

1. Eero Hirvonen (FIN)
2. Stefan Rettenegger (AUT) 
3. Laurent Muhlethaler (FRA)

Results: Ind. Women HS108/5km – 4.9.22 Tschagguns
Results: Ind. Men HS108/10km – 4.9.22 Tschagguns

Overall Results: 
Women – FIS Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix 2022
Men – FIS Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix 2022