Hagen back to winning form with Gundersen victory in Otepää

Ida Marie Hagen (NOR) recovered from a jumping fall on Friday to return to winning ways with victory in Saturday’s Gundersen in Otepää (EST) in the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup.

The defending champion showed courage and composure to nail a 92.0m jump in testing conditions to finish fourth on the Tehvandi hill after an earlier fall by Cindy Haasch (GER) ended with the 20-year-old taken away on a stretcher.

Starting the 5km cross-country 11 seconds behind Haruka Kasai (JPN), who led after the jumping with a wonderful 96.0m effort, Hagen quickly overtook Austrian duo Annalena Slamik and Claudia Purker before catching the Japanese twin inside the first kilometer.

Kasai remained in Hagen’s tracks until the halfway point before the 24-year-old made her move early on the second lap, opening up a 9.6 second lead after 3.7km.

Hagen stretched her advantage over the final kilometer and despite a small stumble 20m from the finish line, eventually won in 13:50.5, 15.6 seconds clear of Kasai.

It was her eighth World Cup win of the season after a difficult week and her 17^th overall.

“I was sad about yesterday but I just hope Cindy is OK and I am just lucky to be skiing and able to compete," Hagen added. "It was fun to ski together with Haruka, we were both doing a good race and pushing each other.”

While Kasai is still awaiting her maiden World Cup victory, a sixth second place - and third this season - keeps her second in the overall standings.

"I am happy to be on the podium again after yesterday," said the 21-year-old.

"Today I raced with the goal of staying with Ida to my limit. She is a strong athlete and I can't match her yet, but I was able to race aggressively today and that gave me a lot of confidence."

With Hagen and Haruka Kasai way out ahead of the rest of the field, a three-way battle for the third podium spot was raging further back.

Purker (AUT) eventually lost touch but still came home in a personal-best fifth place, but the fight between Yuna Kasai (JPN) – Friday’s surprise winner of the Mass Start – and Nathalie Armbruster (GER) went right to the wire.

As they both skated frantically up the final straight in the Tehvandi Stadium, Armbruster eventually pipped Kasai on the line to claim her seventh podium of the season.

“I felt pretty good during the race and it was a very exciting fight with Yuna right to the finish,” she said. “It is so cool to be on the podium again.”

Despite seeing her lead in the overall standings cut to 82 points over Haruka Kasai and 123 over Hagen, the 19-year-old German remains in control, knowing if she continues to finish on the podium for the final four competitions, a first Crystal Globe could be hers.

Haruka Kasai soars furthest on hill

Earlier in challenging, windy conditions on the Tehvandi hill, there was another eventful ski jumping round after the drama of Hagen’s fall on Friday.

The early starters were regularly forced to pause on the starting bar with the wind swirling above the permitted level, while Sophia Maurus (GER) and Hanna Midtsundstad (NOR) were both disqualified for suit infringements.

Slamik (AUT), winner of Thursday’s PCR, again set the target with a jump of 92.5 meters for 112.5 points, with team-mate Purker (AUT) close behind on 111.4 after a 93.0m effort.

But the anxiety for the last seven jumpers ratcheted up a level when Haasch, like Hagen on Friday, lost her balance on landing and fell, with her left knee appearing to take the brunt of the impact.

The 20-year-old, who only returned to the World Cup circuit in December after missing the whole of last season with a serious injury, left the arena in tears on a stretcher.

In the circumstances, Hagen – after her own fall on Friday – did brilliantly to land her own 92.0m jump and earn 108.9 points.

But it was Haruka Kasai (above) who soared further than anyone else, her 96.0m effort earning her 114.0 points and a six-second lead over Slamik heading to the cross-country, with Purker in third, 10 seconds back, Hagen fourth and Yuna Kasai fifth after a 90.0m jump.

But it was Armbruster, starting back in seventh 42 seconds behind, who came through to maintain her strong run of form.

Click here for full results from Saturday's Gundersen.