Rydzek ends six-year wait for win with 'dream' performance in Ruka

Johannes Rydzek claimed his first Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup victory in almost six years as he crushed the competition with an outstanding performance in the Men’s Individual Gundersen in Ruka, Finland, on Saturday.

After a flawless 142-metre jump in challenging weather conditions on the Large Hill, the German 32-year-old lead the 10km Cross-Country race from start to finish to claim his 18th victory on the tour, just under a minute clear off runner-up Julian Schmid (GER). Their teammate Vinzenz Geiger completed the full German podium sweep as Norwegian favourite Jarl Magnus Riiber had to settle for a fourth place.

"Today was really like a dream," said Rydzek, whose last World Cup victory had come on 11 January 2019 in Val di Femme, Italy.

"The jump was amazing, I was so surprised to be in first position, to start in the front and have this huge gap.

"Everybody said, 'easy money for you today', but of course, the 10k is always a challenge, especially with Jarl, Vinzenz and Julian behind, so I focused on my race, did loop by loop and in the end I could really enjoy the last kilometre."

Rydzek had given away an emotional scream of excitement after landing the Large Hill jump that gave him 163.3 points and the lead in the competition, with nine jumpers left to go.

No-one could beat his top performance in the challenging conditions on the iconic Rukanturi hill, which seemed to surprise the main man himself. Staying in the leader’s chair for the remainder of the jumping competition as Riiber, out last, had to settle for 146.2 points for a 136-metre jump, Rydzek threw his arms out as if he did not believe what he had achieved.

"I don't know if I've ever won here at a ski jumping competition. It feels a little unreal to be honest,” Rydzek said after securing the front position with a 47-second margin in the 10km Cross-Country race.

"I came here on Tuesday, struggling a lot with the hill, and on Thursday I did jumps around 100 metres so to now be leading with quite a gap puts me in a position I’d never expected but I’m super happy.

"I noticed that this hill could change from one day to the other but that it changed that quickly I am really surprised."

Rydzek is one of the most experienced athletes on the Nordic Combined tour and had 17 victories to his name, but starting the Cross-Country part with a solid lead is still an unusual situation for the 32-year-old, who has been struggling to get his jumping on point over the past years.

"It will be a new challenge for me to lead the race from the beginning and it will be a heavy challenge but I will accept it," Rydzek said, before putting on another stellar performance in the tracks.

To be joined by two club and national teammates on the podium, the same day as his sister Coletta Rydzek (GER) made it to a Cross-Country World Cup sprint final in Ruka, made it extra special for Rydzek to return to victory.

"It feels amazing to be back on the podium and to be back on top," he said.

"Last year I had an amazing year but no podium. Today, everything worked out. I had a great jump on the hill, the conditions were good, I could have a huge gap before the Cross-Country race, I stayed patient, trusting in my strength and could finish it from the front.

Behind Rydzek, Riiber,  Geiger, Schmid and Thomas Rettenegger (AUT) were side by side coming into the last kilometre of the race, battling it out for the two remaining podium positions.

On Friday, Riiber had pushed away from Geiger and Schmid in the last uphill section leading into the home straight. This time the roles had been reversed as the two Germans set off to secure their spots next to their teammate Rydzek on the podium, showing that the five-time overall World Cup champion is possible to beat.

"It's really cool. We are all training together in Obersdorf (Germany) the whole year and we are all from the same ski club. It is an honour to be on the podium with these two guys," Schmid said.

His second place was an even more impressive feat considering that he finished seventh in the Ski Jump to start more than one and a half minute after Rydzek in the Cross-Country race.

Third-placed Geiger, who failed to make it onto a World Cup podium last season, has had an equally strong start to his 2024/2025 campaign, also with two top-three finishes in two events. He had jumped 135 metres to get himself a fifth-position coming into the Cross Country, one minute and 19 seconds behind the leader.

"It's really great. It is a special day with three guys from the same training group in Obersdorf (on the podium), and for me, the second podium in the second start. I think that is the perfect start (to the season).

As the first World Cup weekend concludes on Sunday, Riiber, who finished three seconds behind Geiger, will have a new chance to secure a milestone 100th World Cup podium in the Individual Mass Start.

Click here for full results from Saturday's competition.