Rydzek takes third gold medal of World Championships
BySportsbeat
Updated 01/03/2017 at 18:06 GMT
Johannes Rydzek clinched his third gold medal of the FIS Nordic World Championships with victory in the individual large hill Gundersen in Lahti.
Johannes Rydzek of Germany celebrates in the finish after he won the men's Nordic combined Individual Gundersen 10km of the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Lahti, Finland on March 01, 2017.
Image credit: AFP
The German, who had already been crowned World champion in the normal hill and team events, crossed the line in a time of 26:41.6, in Finland.
Japan's Akito Watabe finished second, 4.8 seconds behind, to win his first World Championship medal and Japan's first since 1999, while the bronze went to France's Francois Braud.
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Akito Watabe, Johannes Rydzek et Francois Braud, le podium du conbiné grand tremplin aux Mondiaux 2017.
Image credit: AFP
Having jumped 122m, Rydzek sat fifth at the intermediate stage, one minute behind the then-leader Mario Seidl, who leaped 132m.
Seidl skied alone at the head of the field for most of the race, but a group of five skiers, including Rydzek, Watabe and Braud soon banded together to close the gap.
It wasn't until the last lap, though, that Rydzek broke free of the pack, attacking on the final uphill with none of his competitors able to catch him.
Victory sees the 25-year-old pick up his fifth world title, equalling Jason Lamy Chappuis and Bjarte Engen Vik atop the all-time standings.
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