Herola out-sprints Lamparter to win Ski Flying debut in Kulm

Ilkka Herola (FIN) out-sprinted Johannes Lamparter (AUT) in a stunning finish to win only his second ever FIS Nordic Combined individual World Cup competition with victory in the sport’s inaugural Ski Flying event in Kulm/Bad Mitterndorf, Austria.

The 30-year-old continued the late-career renaissance that saw him achieve his maiden World Cup win in Oslo in the penultimate round of last season before claiming his first two Winter Olympic Games medals in Val di Fiemme earlier this month – individual Large Hill bronze and silver in the Team Sprint with Eero Hirvonen (FIN).

Herola started the 7.5km Compact cross-country race 12 seconds behind Lamparter, who nailed a stunning 236.5-meter jump on the HS235 hill, a new Nordic Combined record on a momentous day for the sport.

But Herola caught the overall World Cup leader towards the end of the second of six 1.25km laps and led heading into the final two laps before Lamparter attacked on the final uphill section to regain the lead.

The Austrian was in pole position heading into the finish straight but a frantic final push from Herola saw the Finn prevail by just 0.5 of a second on the line.

“Everything just worked out quite perfectly for me," Herola added. "I had a good jump and then it is always a tight race in the Compact and surprisingly I was the fastest guy in the end.

"I am quite wordless. It was an amazing day here.”

Lamparter, after his 10^th podium in 15 events this season, still extended his lead in the overall standings to 173 points over Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR) with two individual events left over the next two weeks in Lahti, Finland and Oslo, Norway.

“My body was not giving me much energy after these last days,” said Lamparter, who won his first Olympic medals – two individual silvers in the Normal Hill and Large Hill, plus bronze with Stefan Rettenegger (AUT) in the Team Sprint – in Val di Fiemme.

“I still managed to fight for the victory but Ilkka in the last meters was a bit faster than me. But for the first ever Ski Flying for Nordic Combined, it was a really good picture for the sport. (below)"

Johannes Rydzek (GER) won another sprint for the final podium place, edging Einar Luraas Oftebro (NOR) into fourth, with triple Milano Cortina 2026 gold medallist Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR) settling for fifth.

“Yesterday I was struggling a bit, I wasn’t feeling the hill and I realised I wasn’t in the right flight position,” said Rydzek after his third podium finish of the season.

“Today I was taking my heart in my hands, I was so convinced I would do it in competition and the flight over 210.0m (212.5m) was already my highlight of the day.

“The course was not the hardest but the group wasn’t working that good so I thought ‘OK, a little rest and then all-in for the final push’. I was a bit lucky to slip through all the corners and I was really happy to beat a very strong Einar in the finish.”

Lamparter had immediately taken to the HS235 hill in training with an opening jump of 232.0m and won the Provisional Competition Round on Thursday with a 220.5m effort for 217.9 points.

But for a long time it appeared Frenchman Marco Heinis, who topped the standings in Friday’s Trial Round, would emerge victorious in the Ski Flying competition.

As the fifth of the 30 athletes to go, Heinis set a monumental target for the rest by soaring out to 233.5m with a wonderful jump to accumulate 202.6 points.

“It was a super jump, a French record, so I was super happy with that,” said the 22-year-old (below).

Of the first 20, only Ryota Yamamoto (JPN) - 218.5m for 195.6 points – and then David Mach (GER), who nailed a superb 220.5m effort, the third-longest of the day - for 198.3 points – came anywhere close.

Lukas Greiderer (AUT), the 2022 Olympic Normal Hill bronze medallist competing in his final World Cup event, was also happy (below) with a 208.5m jump for 186.8 points, which left the 32-year-old 11^th on the hill, before ultimately finishing 10th.

Skoglund's 204.0m effort left the Olympic Team Sprint bronze medallist 36 seconds back alongside Thomas Rettenegger (AUT), whose landing cost the season’s best jumper higher points after a slightly underwhelming 203.0m effort.

While other big names – including German duo Vinzenz Geiger and Julian Schmid and Stefan Rettenegger (AUT) – failed to fire on the hill, five of the final 10 jumped 210.0m or more.

Wendelin Thannheimer (GER) - 214.0m for 196.3 points – and Rydzek (GER), who enjoyed a 212.5m jump for 195.6 points, started only 26 and 30 seconds back respectively, just behind Einar Luraas Oftebro (NOR), whose excellent 210.5m effort, which came with 14.5 wind compensation points, put him firmly in the cross-country fight.

Herola, despite jumping nearly 20m less than Heinis with 213.0m, also earned 200.0 points – including 16.4 for wind compensation -  to leave the Finn only 12 seconds behind heading to the tracks.

Jens Luraas Oftebro's 203.5m jump still made him a threat, even 42 seconds back, but despite reducing that deficit to less than 20 after 5km, the Norwegian's recent Olympian efforts may have caught up with him on the final two laps.

Lamparter, going last on the hill, thrilled his many supporters in the crowd with a majestic 236.5m jump, even if he sat down on landing and came agonisingly short of victory in the cross-country.

“I need to ask some ski jumpers how to jump really, really far and still stand it. But all in all it was a really nice première for us Nordic Combined athletes and good for our sport.”  

Click here for full results of Friday’s Ski Flying Compact competition.