Eero Hirvonen secured bronze in the Nordic combined at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, earning Finland’s first medal of the Games.
The 30-year-old finished third in the normal hill and 10km event in Val di Fiemme. He crossed the line 2.5 seconds behind Norway’s Jens Lurås Oftebro, who took gold. Austria’s Johannes Lamparter claimed silver, one second ahead of the Finn.
The race turned into a seven-man contest on the ski leg.
Soft snow reshaped the competition and reduced the gaps created in the jump.
Hirvonen and Ilkka Herola started around 30 seconds behind the leaders after the hill phase. By halfway, a lead group of seven had formed, with both Finns present.
Before the final lap, Hirvonen stumbled alongside Oftebro on a climb into the stadium. Neither athlete broke a ski or pole. On the final ascent, Oftebro attacked. Lamparter responded and moved clear.
Hirvonen then broke away from Austria’s Stefan Rettenegger in the last climb to secure third place.
In an interview with Yle after the race, Hirvonen said: “I thought before the competition that I would not put my money on myself.” He added, “I have always hated these soft conditions and have been poor in them.”
Hirvonen struggled to find words in a television interview and repeated “phew” several times before thanking those close to him.
The medal ended a long wait for Finland in Olympic Nordic combined. Finland last won an Olympic medal in the discipline in 2006, when the men’s team took bronze in Turin. The previous individual medals date back to Salt Lake City in 2002.
Herola finished fifth, 22.1 seconds behind the winner. Wille Karhumaa placed 21st.
Finnish teammates and staff celebrated at the finish area. Head coach Antti Kuisma shouted his approval as the team gathered around Hirvonen.
The medal came on a day that also featured the women’s 15km biathlon. Suvi Minkkinen, considered Finland’s strongest medal hope in the event, finished 12th. She incurred two one-minute penalties in shooting and ended 3 minutes 0.8 seconds behind the winner.
France’s Julia Simon won gold in 41 minutes 15.6 seconds despite one penalty. Lou Jeanmonnot secured silver, 53.1 seconds back. Bulgaria’s Lora Hristova took bronze at 1 minute 4.5 seconds.
Minkkinen missed one shot in the prone stage and another in standing. After the second shoot, she trailed the leader by more than two minutes.
She recovered speed on the course and shot clean in the final two stages, but the early penalties removed her from medal contention.
Inka Hämäläinen finished more than five minutes behind the winner after three missed shots. Venla Lehtonen also incurred two penalties in the opening stage.
Hirvonen’s bronze placed Finland on the medal table in Milan-Cortina.
HT