Rettenegger wins maiden World Cup to break new ground for Austrians
Dec 06, 2025·Nordic Combined
Thomas Rettenegger (AUT) hunted down and claimed his maiden World Cup win in the Men’s Mass Start Normal Hill at the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup in Trondheim, following compatriot Katharina Gruber’s maiden victory in the women’s event on the same day.
This broke new ground for the Austrians who also saw Franz-Josef Rehrl step up to the podium, claiming third after the ski jumping, while 17-year-old Gruber made history by becoming the first Austrian woman to win a World Cup competition and the youngest woman to win a World Cup.
Of Gruber’s record-breaking performance Rettenegger said: “It’s just awesome. As we saw that she won hers, we were really happy and I think that helped as well, so we just had fun.”
And on his own maiden win he added: "It feels unbelievable. There’s so much work and luck and everything to get up there on the first place and I can’t believe it yet.”
Rettenegger had fought hard during the Mass Start race to finish in seventh, just 4.1 seconds behind winner Johannes Rydzek (GER), before he laid down a 100-meter jump to earn him a table-topping 125.3 points.
That put pressure on Rydzek and Norwegians Jens Luraas Oftebro and Aleksander Skoglund, who finished second and third, to perform in the jump.
All three race leaders fell away on the hill however, with Wendelin Thannheimer (GER) placing second with 121 points after a 96.5m jump to claim his first World Cup podium and Rehrl's 97.5m effort posting 120.6 points for third.
The athletes enjoyed fine conditions in stark contrast to the strong winds experienced in Ruka, Finland, on the opening weekend that forced the cancellation of the Mass Start on the final day of competition.
Rettenegger's younger brother Stefan (AUT) attempted to stretch the field from the front early on in the tracks before being caught and overtaken by Samuel Costa (ITA) and the rest of the chasing pack at 3.7km.
Rettenegger fought his way back by the halfway mark but was again unable to stretch his lead enough to fend off Einar Luraas Oftebro (NOR), who overtook him at 7.5km with brother Jens Luraas Oftebro following up behind Rettenegger.
After a short-lived lead from Skoglund at 8.7km, it was eventual winner Rydzek, who had been biding his time further back in the group before creeping up to fourth, who sprinted into the lead in the final meters, overhauling Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR), who led heading into the finish zone but had to settle for second, +0.7secs behind with Skoglund in third and Stefan Rettenegger fourth.
Rydzek had been inspired to make the bold sprint by his sister Coletta Rydzek, after watching her compete in the Cross-Country Sprint Classic the previous day.
In the Normal Hill, Ilkka Herola (FIN) jumped 94.5 meters to score 118.7 points, before Rehrl, who won the Provisional Competition Round, jumped 97.5 meters, putting him in the lead before Thannheimer, and then Rettenegger immediately after.
Despite another Austrian Johannes Lamparter arriving in Trondheim on a high after winning the two competitions at the men’s opening weekend in Ruka, his 97 meters earned him 114.1 points to finish in sixth place.
Olympic champion and defending overall champion Vinzenz Geiger, much like German compatriot Nathalie Armbruster, struggled to win in Trondheim, finished in 19th place with 105.2 points. While Armbruster felt the effects of a virus going into competition, Geiger sustained a foot injury in a weight training incident which caused doubt over whether he would be able to compete at this World Cup event.
Sora Yatchi (JPN) was disqualified for a suit infringement after the Normal Hill.
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