Hagen powers to season-opening victory in Lillehammer

Ida Marie Hagen ended fellow Norwegian Gyda Westvold Hansen’s perfect winning record in Lillehammer as the defending women’s World Cup champion took victory in the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined season-opening Gundersen.

Hansen, the two-time overall champion, had won all six previous World Cup competitions held in the Norwegian town over the past three seasons.

But after starting the cross-country in 10^th place, more than a minute behind, the 22-year-old had to settle for a runner-up finish behind compatriot Hagen, who overcame a 34-second deficit from the ski jumping to power to victory.

The 24-year-old had made up that gap on Maria Gerboth (GER), the leader after the jumping, within five minutes and taken the lead by the first checkpoint after 1.3km, ahead of Lisa Hirner (AUT).

Hagen eventually won the cross-country in 15:24.09, 49 seconds clear of Hansen, with Hirner holding on to claim third place – her eighth World Cup podium - 55.6 seconds back.

Japan’s Haruka Kasai, who won the PCR on Thursday, took fourth place ahead of Gerboth, who enjoyed her best World Cup result in fifth, with another German, Nathalie Armbruster, finishing sixth and Kasai’s twin sister Yuna in seventh.

Earlier, Ingrid Laate (NOR) had taken an early lead in the ski jumping on the Lysgårdsbakken HS98, recording the longest jump of 97.0 meters and earning 117.7 points. But the 17-year-old did not start the cross-country because of a hand injury.

Gerboth (GER, below) hit the front with a stylish jump of 96.5 meters to score 119.5 points, with Hirner in third with 117.5 after a jump of 93.0 meters.

Hagen’s jump of 90.5m earned 111.0 points to put her fifth heading into the cross-country, but that proved easily surmountable for the stylish Norwegian.

Hansen’s jump of 91.0m left her with 104.1 points, in 10^th place, but the two-time overall champion battled hard on the cross-country course to finish second.

“It was a very good start,” she said. “My cross-country shape is actually pretty good so I am satisfied with second place.”

Hirner, 21, also declared herself “very happy” after claiming the final place on the podium.

“It couldn’t be better – it was a very nice start for me,” she said. “I had some problems yesterday with the jumping, but I am very proud that I reached my goal today.”

Saturday will see the women compete in a Compact event with the jumping starting at 09:30 CET and the 5km cross-country following at 13:45.

Hagen added: “Gyda is really strong and showed that in the tracks today and also Lisa (Hirner) is super-strong as well, so there are a lot of girls on form and it will be another cool day tomorrow."

Click here for full results from the Women's Individual Gundersen.

Facts and figures

• Ida Marie Hagen (NOR) took her 10th World Cup victory, after nine wins last season. It was her 22nd podium in her 34th start as she begins her fourth season on the circuit.

• This was the first time Gyda Westvold Hansen (NOR) had failed to win a World Cup competition in Lillehammer, having finished top of the podium in all six previous events over the past three years.

• Lisa Hirner (AUT) claimed her eighth World Cup podium finish, following two last season in Oberstdorf (GER) and Trondheim (NOR).

• Twin 20-year-old Japanese sisters Haruka Kasai and Yuna Kasai both finished in the top seven, with the younger sibling Haruka in fourth, 1:11.8 behind Hagen, and Yuna in seventh, 1:45.6 back.