JWSC: Austria claims Team Sprint gold in windy Lake Placid

The first Nordic Combined competition day at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Lake Placid (USA) was marked by heavy snowfall and difficult wind conditions, creating a challenging environment for the young athletes.

The Ski Jumping competition on the MacKenzie Intervale HS100 had to be halted and restarted after a long break due to unpredictable weather. However, once conditions improved in the afternoon, all 13 teams were finally able to complete their jumps.

Austria set the pace early, dominating the jumping round with impressive performances from Andreas Gfrerer (83.5 m) and Paul Walcher (86 m), securing a combined total of 202.3 points.
Team Japan followed in second place, with Kyotaro Yamazaki (83 m) and Atsushi Narita (84 m) collecting 184 points, setting them up for a 24-second delay behind the Austrians in the 2x7.5km cross-country race.
Norway, led by Torje Seljeset (77.5 m) and Even Leinan Lund (83.5 m), finished the jumping round in third place with 173.2 points, trailing the leaders by 39 seconds.

Austria maintained its lead throughout the grueling cross-country race. Each athlete had to complete the 1.5km course five times, alternating with their teammate after each lap.

Gfrerer and Walcher extended their advantage with strong skiing performances, and Walcher ultimately secured the gold medal for Austria with a commanding lead of 46.9 seconds.

Norway’s Leinan Lund delivered a solid performance to claim silver for his team, finishing ahead of Japan’s Narita, who crossed the finish line 51.6 seconds behind the winners, earning the bronze medal.

Austria’s dominant display in both ski jumping and cross-country skiing solidified their status as the top team on the first day of competition, setting the stage for more thrilling action in the days to come at Lake Placid.