Strong winds in Trondheim see Men’s Team event rescheduled

Strong winds in Trondheim forced the postponement of Thursday’s Nordic Combined Men’s Team competition on the large hill at the FIS World Nordic Ski Championships.

With the original morning start time pushed back because of an orange weather warning, the continuing strong gusts meant the ski jumping was delayed further until the jury decided conditions were not safe to get under way on the HS138 hill.

The four-man Team event, which will include a 4x5km cross-country relay, has been rescheduled for Friday, 7 March, with a 12:00 CET start for the ski jumping and the cross-county scheduled to start at 15:30 CET at the Granåsen Arena.

Hosts Norway are aiming for a fourth successive World gold in the Men’s Team event, which was held on a normal hill at the 2019 and 2021 championships before it was switched to the large hill in Planica two years ago. Norway also won the event at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR, above), in his last major championships before retiring at the end of the season, will continue his quest to win four gold medals for the second successive World Championships, having already helped Norway defend their Mixed Team title and pipped team-mate Jens Luraas Oftebro to gold in the Compact last Saturday.

Germany are aiming to return to the top of the podium for the first time since the 2017 Worlds in the four-man event, having won silver at the last three editions as well as in Beijing.

Austria are attempting to improve on the bronze medal they have collected in the four-man competition at each of the last four World Championships.

Japan are also expected to be in medal contention, having won bronze in the large hill Team event at Beijing 2022.