Hansen aims to extend Lillehammer run in women’s season opener
Dec 03, 2024·Nordic Combined
Two-time World Cup champion Gyda Westvold Hansen will seek to maintain her remarkable winning run in Lillehammer as the Norwegian town hosts the start of the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined women’s season plus two more men’s events this weekend.
Hansen has won all six of the women’s World Cup competitions held in Lillehammer over the past three seasons, after the inaugural event in 2020 was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 22-year-old, who won the overall title in 2021-22 and 2022-23, believes she is over the health issues that affected her last season, when she had to settle for the runners-up spot as compatriot Ida Marie Hagen claimed her first title.
“I think I have got over all those problems and my training has been very stable so I feel very prepared for this season,” said Hansen as she looked forward to a provisional round on Thursday, 5 December, followed by a traditional Gundersen on Friday and the first women’s Compact competition in Lillehammer on Saturday, 7 December.
“I have worked a lot on my strength in smaller muscle groups to avoid getting injured so much, and I have not been injured since March, so that is a very good sign.”
Hansen has won the Best Jumper Trophy for the last four years but having lost her overall title last season to Hagen, who ended her run of 20 consecutive World Cup victories, Hansen welcomes the extra competition as she aims to reclaim her crown.
“My mindset is the same,” she added. “My biggest opponent of course is Ida (Hagen) but also the Germans and Lisa (Hirner, AUT). I think it will tighter at the top this year.
On the men’s side, Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR) will be looking to reassert his dominance faced with a resurgent quartet of German competitors who all reached the podium during the opening events in Ruka last weekend.
While five-time champion Riiber won the opening Compact in the Finnish resort, he had to settle for fourth place in the Gundersen and second in the Mass Start – his 100th World Cup podium.
Johannes Rydzek, 32, claimed his 18th World Cup win - his first since January 2019 - in the Gundersen, while fellow German Vinzenz Geiger took his 11th individual World Cup victory in the Mass Start to follow a second and third place in the first two competitions of the weekend.
As a result, Geiger, on 270, leads Riiber by 10 points in the early overall standings, with Julian Schmid (GER) in third on 230 after consistent performances in Ruka brought him finishes of third, second and fifth.
Manuel Faisst became the fourth German competitor to reach the podium in Ruka with third place in the Mass Start.
Riiber (above) has won four of the five men’s competitions held in Lillehammer over the past three years, with fellow Norwegian Jens Luraas Oftebro also tasting victory at the venue in December 2022, a year Geiger also claimed two podium finishes.
After a provisional round this Friday, the men will compete in a traditional Gundersen on the normal hill on Saturday, 7 December, before tackling the large hill on Sunday in a Compact event with a 7.5km cross-country run.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) has won the first two women’s competitions of the season in Lillehammer – all Gundersens – for each of the past three years.
Ida Marie Hagen (NOR), with two second-places, and Mari Leinan Lund (NOR) – two thirds – completed a Norwegian sweep of the podium in both events 12 months ago, but Lund will be absent this year as she recovers from a knee injury.
Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR) has won four of the last five men’s competitions in Lillehammer over the past three seasons, including both Gundersens last year.
Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR) has also performed well on home snow with a win and two runners-up finishes in Lillehammer over the past two years.
Jorgen Graabak (NOR) finished on the podium in both last year’s competitions at the ski resort in southern Norway, while current World Cup leader Vinzenz Geiger (GER) twice finished third in Lillehammer in December 2022.
