In the winter of 2015/16, Jarl Riiber emerged from a whirlwind development turning him from a promising junior into a full-fledged member of the world’s best Nordic Combined athletes. When he achieved the first podiums in 10 km Individual Gundersen races in Ramsau am Dachstein, he earned himself a lot of respect, setting his first-ever World Cup victory brought open admiration for the 18-year-old. In this TUESDAY TALK, Riiber speaks about how the flurry of events felt to him, what his next goals are and his admiration for Eric Frenzel.

You have advanced into the absolute world elite of Nordic Combined so fast this winter with your first World Cup victory in Oslo and a rank in the overall Top Ten at the moment. Do you sometimes wake up in the morning having trouble believing it all happened? 

Jarl Riiber: It’s often hard to understand how big things have actually become. I am exactly the same person that I was before and nothing has changed, really. The last few weeks have certainly given me lot of impressions and I feel it in my body that I have travelled a lot lately. It was incredibly nice to get a little break before we get started with the last period of the World Cup because there is definitely a part of things that have to sink in a bit first.

The timing for your first World Cup victory couldn’t have been better. To take it at a place as traditional as Holmenkollen which also happens to be your home venue must feel like winning in the lottery. Tell us a bit about the experience.

Riiber: The experience was almost a little scary considering everything that happened. I knew I was in good shape but there was also a lot of emotions involved around the weekend in Holmenkollen. I didn’t get a wink of sleep in the night before because I was so scared we would not be able to jump due to wind or fog. But everything ended well and to stand on top of the podium with two of the world’s best Nordic Combined athletes by my side was fantastic. I reached all my goals and hopes for this season and that this would happen at home of all places, well it couldn’t have tasted better!

Looking back on your last two seasons, you seem to be an athlete who is either on top of the world (first podium in Seefeld last winter, double Junior World Champion, strong races in Ramsau in December, World Cup victory) or caught up in absolutely dramatic stories like the crash with Johannes Rydzek in Lahti or getting on the podium again in Seefeld only to discover you forgot to put on your transponders. You don’t really do low-key and quiet, right?

Riiber: Well, I have seen that a little bit of drama is important to keep the sport popular! (laughs) To have something go wrong here and there is only healthy, I think. I will make me into a more experienced athlete in the future. All in all, I am just very happy that I am managing to perform on a high level, even if not everything goes completely my way.

Let's talk about your big strength, the ski jumping part. What are you doing that much better than the rest of the field?

Riiber: I have been watching Eric Frenzel since I was a small boy and he is solid as a rock on the jumping hill. This lead the way to him winning the overall World Cup for years in a row now. A big part of my focus is on the development and to take the jumping part of the Nordic Combined events up to the level of the Ski Jumping World Cup is the big dream. This is why I am also looking for environments in which I can face the best jumpers, for example when I am competing in the special jumping competitions during the summer.

Will we also see you at the Junior World Championships in Romania later this month?

Riiber: I will do as last year and travel to the Junior World Championships. It actually is my biggest goal this season. I think it is important to stay junior for the longest time possible and not hurry. 

What are your goals for the rest of the season now and what are you looking forward to most?

Riiber: My goal is to jump even better. I haven’t shown my greatest jumps yet and so I am still pushing hard to get them out in the competitions. Next up are the Junior World Championships and as I said, these are my next highlight, together with the World Cup finals in Schonach. I would like to win a medal in Rasnov, then I can declare myself satisfied with this season.

Source: fis-ski.com