Riiber: "The competition is incredibly strong this year"

As the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup season begins in Ruka next week, top favorite Jarl Magnus Riiber opens up about his goals for the season’s first competitions, his approach to training after recent challenges, and his excitement for the upcoming World Championships in Trondheim.

The five-time Overall World Cup champion shares his thoughts on competing on home soil, adapting to new race formats, and the motivation that keeps him pushing forward amid tough competition.

Jarl, as you enter the World Cup season in Ruka, what are your primary goals for the opening competitions, and how has your training been structured to ensure you’re ready to perform at your best?

The goal in Ruka is to start the season strong and build a solid foundation for the rest of the year. After a challenging summer and autumn, the main focus has been on stabilizing my health and regaining form. Training has been adapted step by step without getting any setbacks. My jumping form isn't quite where it needs to be either after a summer of knee problems, but I am adjusting and trying my best to find the good feeling in Lillehammer as we speak before heading to Ruka. Hopefully the technique and power should hopefully come in right time to the PCR, but at the moment it is some weeks to early.

With recent health issues, including recovery from a gastrointestinal virus, how have you adapted your training to manage these setbacks, and do you feel ready to maintain the high performance standards you’ve set?

The stomach issues have definitely impacted my training, especially my cross-country skiing. We've worked hard to find the right balance on the training because I still today suffers from the problem, so the focus has been to allowing my body longer time to recover after sessions then normally. So, again, it’s little bit early to say how it will turn out the next weeks.

With the World Championships in Trondheim later this season, and the memory of flawless WSC in Planica 2023, what are your main objectives, and how competing on home soil influence your motivation and approach?

The home World Championships in Trondheim is a massive motivator. Competing in front of a Norwegian crowd is something truly special, and I hope to deliver top results there. The goal is to peak at the right time, even though the road to Trondheim has been challenging. The experience from Planica, where everything came together perfectly, gives me confidence, but I also know how much it takes to reach that level when it truly matters.

This season includes more Compact and Mass Start races. How are you adjusting your strategies for these formats, and do you expect them to bring new challenges or opportunities to your racing style?

The Compact and Mass Start formats bring new tactical challenges, but I also see opportunities in these races. Positioning and being ready for intense duels in the cross-country section, will be key. With my current form being slightly below where I'd like it to be, these formats might be demanding early in the season, but I hope to adapt and turn them into something good as the season progresses.

After achieving remarkable success, including your fifth Overall title last season, what keeps you motivated to keep improving?

There are always new goals to strive for. I love competing in World Cup and to see a possible milestone at 100 World Cup victories is something that I dream of but I know as well is hard to achieve. And of course, the home World Championships in Trondheim is one of my biggest motivation, I want to prove that I can still perform at the highest level despite a tough preparation period and that I will try to copy the success from Planica in front of my home crowd.

Who will be your biggest competitor this season?

There are many strong competitors this season. Kristian Ilves and Johannes Rydzek really impressed during the Summer Grand Prix, and they will be exciting to follow. At the same time, athletes like Johannes Lamparter, Stefan Rettenegger, and Jens Lurås Oftebro, just like in previous years, will be very tough to beat. The competition is incredibly strong this year, which means I need to work even harder to get back to my top level.