COC: Flatla leads Norwegian podium sweep

Strong winds disrupted the second men’s FIS Continental Cup competition in Eisenerz, Austria, resulting in the cancellation of the Ski Jumping round. Instead, the starting order for the 10 km cross-country race was determined using Friday’s Provisional Competition Round (PCR).

Austria’s Christian Deuschl led the field after winning the PCR with a 102-meter jump and 131.7 points. Fellow Austrian Andreas Gfrerer, who had the longest jump of 104.5 meters (130.3 points), started the race alongside Norway’s Eidar Johan Stroem, both just 6 seconds behind Deuschl. Saturday’s winner, Kasper Moen Flatla of Norway, also recorded a jump of 104.5 meters (128.4 points), starting 13 seconds back in fourth place.

Flatla wasted no time asserting himself in the cross-country race, quickly catching up to the leading group. While Deuschl and Stroem struggled to maintain the pace and eventually dropped to 7th and 14th positions respectively, the Norwegian team displayed exceptional form. Flatla broke away from the pack, keeping his competitors at bay, while his teammate Aleksander Skoglund delivered an extraordinary performance. Starting in 26th place with a 1:24-minute deficit, Skoglund surged through the field to challenge for the lead.

Andreas Ottesen, another Norwegian, climbed from 7th after jumping to join the leaders. Though he couldn’t overtake Flatla, his effort secured a podium position.

Flatla crossed the finish line first, claiming his second consecutive victory of the weekend. Skoglund’s remarkable effort earned him second place, just 6.7 seconds behind, while Ottesen completed the Norwegian sweep in third, 25.1 seconds back.

The race highlighted Norway’s dominance on the cross-country course and showcased the depth of talent within their team, as they secured a clean sweep of the podium for the second time this weekend.

All results can be found here.