Norway's Jens Luraas Oftebro claimed gold in the men's normal hill/10km Nordic combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics, overcoming slushy conditions and a mid-race mishap. Austria's Johannes Lamparter took silver, while Finland's Eero Hirvonen earned bronze in the discipline's first medals of the Games. The event highlights ongoing concerns about the sport's Olympic future amid low participation and the absence of a women's competition.
The men's normal hill/10km Nordic combined event took place on February 11, 2026, at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Combining ski jumping and a 10km cross-country race, athletes started the ski portion in a staggered format based on their jumping performance. Estonia's Kristjan Ilves led after the jump with a 15-second advantage, but Oftebro, starting 28 seconds behind, surged ahead during the race.
Difficult conditions plagued the competition, with warm weather turning the snow into slush, slowing racers on climbs. Oftebro trapped his right ski under a wooden fence on a steep ascent, briefly stopping to free it. "My thought was just hopefully the skis weren’t broken," Oftebro said. "It went really well, it was a typical race incident, but of course it was nerve-wracking."
Recovering quickly, Oftebro attacked on a long drag, dropping all contenders except Lamparter, whom he outpaced in the final metres. Hirvonen, from Finland, mounted a late charge for bronze, his first podium in eight years at this level. Lamparter noted the tight jumping results made for a hard race: "It was a very hard race – like a selection - but the best won at the end."
Only 36 athletes competed, down from 55 in Beijing 2022, underscoring the sport's challenges. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is evaluating Nordic combined's future due to low viewership and participation limited to a few nations like Norway, Germany, Japan, and Austria. Protests for women's inclusion continue, with FIS President Johan Eliasch vowing to fight for the discipline, emphasizing: "There is no scenario possible where women will not be in Nordic combined."
Attendance at Tesero was notably lower than for other events, potentially signaling risks for the sport's Olympic status beyond 2026.
