Kirkebakken Grand Prix and Oslo Skishow week
Jun 21, 2019·Nordic Combined
The Norwegian Nordic Combined teams are in the midst of a busy week which featured appearances at the Kirkebakken Grand Prix and Oslo Skishow, followed by a Norges Cup weekend in Oslo.
Kirkebakken Grand Prix
The Kirkebakken Grand Prix was arranged in Hamar and Nordic Combined men and women were part of the programme for the first time. On the women’s side, Hanna Midstsundstad won the city roller ski sprint, while Jarl Magnus Riiber prevailed in the men’s roller ski sprint.
The best two athletes from the Nordic Combined race received a starting place in the Cross-Country sprint races. Here Jarl Magnus Riiber ran into trouble and only finished seventh while runner-up, Einar Lurås Oftebro ended the competition on rank five.
Oslo Skishow
Harald Riiber and Gyda Westvold Hansen returned with a vengeance a day later when a Nordic Combined competition in the framework of the Oslo Skishow was on schedule.
Westvold Hansen won the jumping portion at Midstubakken with 92.5 metres and a point total of 111. Ranks two and three went to Marte and Mari Leinan Lund, who showed 89.5 and 80.5 metres respectively. In the roller-ski race, Westvold Hansen was uncatchable and crossed the finish line 17.18 seconds earlier than Marte Leinan Lund. Mari Leinan Lund defended her third place and finished +46.08 after Westvold Hansen. Ranks four to six went to Hanna Midtsundstad, Thea Øihaugen and Oda Leiråmo.
In the men’s competition, Simen Kvarstad proved to be the man to beat on the jumping hill with a distance of 99.5 metres (125 p.). Espen Bjørnstad claimed starting position two with 97 metres and Harald Riiber was third with 96.5 metres. Riiber fought his way all the way to the top of the podium in the roller ski potion and ended the tight race +3.66 seconds ahead of Espen Bjørnstad. Simen Kvarstad managed to hang on to a podium position and crossed the finish line in third, +7.09 after Riiber. Espen Andersen was fourth, followed by the Oftebro brothers on positions five and six.
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