Hagen shows cross-country class to win Compact on second day in Seefeld

Ida Marie Hagen (NOR) dominated the 5km race to win the FIS Nordic Combined Individual Compact in Seefeld and extend her women’s record of individual World Cup wins to 26.

The Norwegian showed her class in the cross-country by making nothing of Alexa Brabec’s six-second lead to overtake the American early on, who had finished first in the Normal Hill earlier in the day with a brilliant 104m jump.

It was a difficult race for Brabec knowing she would have to hold off overall World Cup leader Hagen, who grew a significant 19 second gap at the halfway point.

Brabec managed to hold on for second however, while a tussle for the last podium place ensued behind her.

Hagen had earlier finished her 98.5m jump with a fist pump and a celebration with the crowd knowing that it was enough to put her in a good position for the cross-country race.

While Hagen said she was happy to have Brabec with her on the podium with her since the American trains with her in Norway, she added: “At some points it was close for the podium today so I am hoping for a better day for tomorrow.”

It was Nathalie Armbruster, who claimed two victories during the Nordic Combined Triple in Seefeld last season, who beat the field by sprinting from fifth place at the start to claim third ahead of Ema Volasek (SLO) and Ingrid Laate (NOR).

Armbruster also overtook Norwegian Marte Leinan Lund, who had worked her way up from seventh at the 2.5km-mark to join the leading pack to finish 0.6 seconds shy from the podium and place fourth.

“It feels so so cool to be on the podium here again,” said Armbruster. “It was a tough race but in the end I felt strong enough to try to beat Marte [Leinan Lund, NOR) and I’m really really happy with my strength in the sprint.”

Despite Laate’s 102m jump putting her into fourth place going into the cross-country, she did not finish the race which puts her out of contention for the Triple.

Brabec had celebrated her maiden Nordic Combined World Cup win just a day before in the Mass Start, no doubt boosting her confidence for her Triple campaign.

Afterwards she said she was "definitely satisfied" with her first and second podium places, and that her plan for Sunday's Gundersen was “keeping good momentum, good jumps, good skiing ... we’ll see how it plays out.”

Volvasek, who has had to overcome some injuries, managed to put herself in third place after the jump but ended in seventh place behind Yuna Kasai (JPN) in sixth and Tara Geraghty-Moats (USA) in fifth.

The Triple finale will be contested by the women in the Individual Gundersen on Sunday, with the jumping starting 10:15 CET and the cross-country scheduled for 14:45.

For results of the Individual Compact Normal Hill click here.