Finland secured a bronze medal in Nordic combined on Tuesday as Ilkka Herola delivered a decisive cross-country performance at the Milano–Cortina Winter Olympics.

Herola, 30, finished third in the large hill and 10km event, 14.8 seconds behind Norway’s Jens Lurås Oftebro, who took gold in 24:45.0. Austria’s Johannes Lamparter claimed silver, 5.9 seconds off the lead.

The medal marks Finland’s fourth of the Games and the second in Nordic combined during the current Olympic fortnight.

After the ski jumping phase, Herola stood seventh, 32 seconds adrift of the leader. He described his starting position as unsatisfactory and signalled he would take risks on the course.

He closed the gap early in the 10km race and joined the leading group before the halfway mark. In the closing stages, Oftebro and Lamparter broke clear. Herola held off Norway’s Andreas Skoglund to secure bronze.

“Somehow it feels unreal. A strange feeling,” Herola told Yle after the medal ceremony.

“I have to be proud that I put myself in such condition that the medal did not even require a perfect performance. Surprisingly much went wrong today and still I leave with a medal around my neck. That is the result of long-term work,” he said.

Head coach Antti Kuisma described the moment as the fulfilment of a long-held goal.

“This is the biggest dream of his career. A long career and now, at the right time, it comes true,” Kuisma said on Yle.

Herola briefly led the race during the final lap as rivals positioned themselves for the sprint finish. He later said he focused on defending bronze rather than chasing gold.

“I did not prepare to fight Jens and Johannes. I looked back a lot and tried to keep the gap behind,” he said.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, Finland named its line-ups for the cross-country team sprints. Kerttu Niskanen was left out of the women’s event.

Jasmi Joensuu and Jasmin Kähärä will represent Finland in the women’s team sprint, while Lauri Vuorinen and Joni Mäki race in the men’s competition.

Niskanen had indicated interest in competing, and the Val di Fiemme sprint course has drawn scrutiny over its demands.

The selection prompted debate, given Niskanen’s experience in distance events.

HT