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Rydzek earns first Nordic Combined gold in Falun
Germany’s Johannes Rydzek picked up his first-ever gold medal at a Nordic World Ski Championships as he topped a competitive field in today’s 10 km Individual Gundersen.
The win puts an end to Rdzek’s silver streak as he previously had earned second place three times at a the 2011 World Championships in Oslo in addition to picking up another silver in Sochi in the Team Event.
Second place surprisingly went to Italy’s Alessandro Pittin, who finished just 1.3 seconds behind. Falun treats the Italian well as the last time Pittin made a World Cup podium was one year ago at the test event here. Rounding out the podium was Jason Lamy Chappuis, picking up his impressive eighth-ever World Championship gold medal to add to his previous four golds and three bronzes.
With 99 metres, the by far longest jump of the day, Frenzel took the lead after the jumping round and went out on the cross-country track first. After his 121.6 point jumping result, he went unchallenged for 21 seconds before runner-up Yoshito Watabe from Japan followed. With 95 metres, he accumulated a total of 116.4 points. Third after the jumping was French title defender Jason Lamy Chappuis who seems to have returned well from a calf injury sustained in the beginning of January. He jumped 94.5 metres (115,4 p.) which meant a time behind of 25 seconds.
Athletes to watch for the race were Akito Watabe and Johannes Rydzek on positions four and five, +0:27 and +0:31 seconds behind Frenzel as well as reigning Olympic Champion Joergen Graabak who held the 11th position with a 91.5 metre-jump and only +1:01 of time behind. Also promisingly set up for a podium result were lightning-fast skiers Alessandro Pittin from Italy on rank 14 with a time disadvantage of +1:16 and Taylor Fletcher from the USA with +1:31, a very manageable distance for both.
Ski Jumping Results
But today was Rydzek’s chance to climb on the top step of the podium as he had an amazing cross country race to power him through to the medal. Rydzek was in a chasing pack that started about 30 seconds behind jumping leader, and teammate, Eric Frenzel. Frenzel looked strong at the start of the race, but a pack of six skiers caught him about mid-race.
It was a battle to the finish line between Rydzek and Pittin, which Rydzek won by a nose. Meanwhile, Lamy Chappuis and Frenzel dueled it out for the bronze medal with Triple winner Frenzel, who finished just 1.1 seconds shy of the podium.
Norway’s Haavard Klemetsen finished in fifth place, three seconds behind Frenzel, while Akito Watabe (JPN) ended in sixth place. All of the Top-Six finishers will be honored at the medal ceremony tomorrow evening at 20:15 in downtown Falun.
Nordic Combined is back in action on Sunday with the Team Event. The Ski Jumping part is scheduled to begin at 10:00.
Source: fis-ski.com
The win puts an end to Rdzek’s silver streak as he previously had earned second place three times at a the 2011 World Championships in Oslo in addition to picking up another silver in Sochi in the Team Event.
Second place surprisingly went to Italy’s Alessandro Pittin, who finished just 1.3 seconds behind. Falun treats the Italian well as the last time Pittin made a World Cup podium was one year ago at the test event here. Rounding out the podium was Jason Lamy Chappuis, picking up his impressive eighth-ever World Championship gold medal to add to his previous four golds and three bronzes.
With 99 metres, the by far longest jump of the day, Frenzel took the lead after the jumping round and went out on the cross-country track first. After his 121.6 point jumping result, he went unchallenged for 21 seconds before runner-up Yoshito Watabe from Japan followed. With 95 metres, he accumulated a total of 116.4 points. Third after the jumping was French title defender Jason Lamy Chappuis who seems to have returned well from a calf injury sustained in the beginning of January. He jumped 94.5 metres (115,4 p.) which meant a time behind of 25 seconds.
Athletes to watch for the race were Akito Watabe and Johannes Rydzek on positions four and five, +0:27 and +0:31 seconds behind Frenzel as well as reigning Olympic Champion Joergen Graabak who held the 11th position with a 91.5 metre-jump and only +1:01 of time behind. Also promisingly set up for a podium result were lightning-fast skiers Alessandro Pittin from Italy on rank 14 with a time disadvantage of +1:16 and Taylor Fletcher from the USA with +1:31, a very manageable distance for both.
Ski Jumping Results
But today was Rydzek’s chance to climb on the top step of the podium as he had an amazing cross country race to power him through to the medal. Rydzek was in a chasing pack that started about 30 seconds behind jumping leader, and teammate, Eric Frenzel. Frenzel looked strong at the start of the race, but a pack of six skiers caught him about mid-race.
It was a battle to the finish line between Rydzek and Pittin, which Rydzek won by a nose. Meanwhile, Lamy Chappuis and Frenzel dueled it out for the bronze medal with Triple winner Frenzel, who finished just 1.1 seconds shy of the podium.
Norway’s Haavard Klemetsen finished in fifth place, three seconds behind Frenzel, while Akito Watabe (JPN) ended in sixth place. All of the Top-Six finishers will be honored at the medal ceremony tomorrow evening at 20:15 in downtown Falun.
Nordic Combined is back in action on Sunday with the Team Event. The Ski Jumping part is scheduled to begin at 10:00.
Source: fis-ski.com
