Finland claimed Olympic silver in the Nordic combined team event after Norway secured gold by 0.5 seconds in a sprint finish.
Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen led Finland to the podium in the large hill and 2×7.5km relay at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The race remained undecided until the final straight, where Jens Lurås Oftebro edged ahead of Hirvonen in deep snow on the finishing stretch.
Norway crossed the line first. Finland followed half a second later. Austria took bronze, 22.3 seconds behind the winners.
The result marked Finland’s third medal in Nordic combined at these Games.
The decisive moment came after a series of exchanges between Norway and Finland on the final leg. Andreas Skoglund closed the gap to Herola before the last changeover, sending Oftebro and Hirvonen out together for the anchor stage.
Earlier in the race, Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger fell in soft snow and collided with Japan’s Ryota Yamamoto. The incident allowed Norway, Finland and Austria to break clear. Italy dropped back by 24 seconds at one stage, according to race updates reported by Finnish media.
Herola attacked on the Zorzi climb and created a small gap over Skoglund. Finland entered the final exchange in contention for gold.
On the last lap, Hirvonen matched Oftebro stride for stride. The pair approached the finishing straight side by side. Hirvonen attempted to pass on a less-tracked line but lost momentum in loose snow after a small rise. Oftebro maintained speed and secured gold for Norway.
“It was perfectly skied from Eero,” former Finnish head coach Tommi Nikunen said on Yle’s broadcast. “He wanted to come from behind into the descent. He knew he would get good speed for the finish. But there was so much snow that he had to go into deep tracks after the bump. There was no chance.”
Television footage showed Herola urging Hirvonen on in the closing metres. After Norway crossed the line, Herola reacted in frustration. “It just was not enough,” he said on Yle.
The Olympic programme continues later in the day with the women’s figure skating free programme. Finland’s 17-year-old Iida Karhunen placed 15th in the short programme and qualified for the final segment. The women’s ice hockey final between the United States and Canada is scheduled for the evening session.
Away from the combined venue, illness affected Finland’s cross-country squad in Val di Fiemme. Helsingin Sanomat reported that several athletes had fallen ill, causing isolation measures within the team hotel.
Coach Ville Oksanen confirmed that sick athletes had been separated from the rest of the squad. “All is being done in a sensible way so that there are no further infections,” he said. He declined to name those affected, citing medical privacy.
Oksanen said the cases were not linked to norovirus, which has circulated in the Olympic village in Milan. Finland’s cross-country and Nordic combined athletes are staying outside the main village.
HT