Rivals no match for Norway in Nordic combined team event

Norway's hold on the Nordic World Ski Championships is showing no signs of abating after they launched a comeback to take Nordic combined team normal hill/4x5km gold in Oberstdorf. Having already won one gold during the championships, Jarl Magnus Riiber returned alongside Espen Bjoernstad, Joergen Graabak and Jens Luras Oftebro but they had it all to do at the halfway mark. A few disappointing jumps left the Norwegian quartet fourth, and 35 seconds behind the leaders Austria heading into the 4x5km cross-country section. Bjoernstad's opening leg did much of the work as he managed to close in on the leading group of Japan, Germany and Austria. Graabak then shook off Germany and Japan during the second stage before passing leaders Austria, and from there their fate was sealed. Both Oftebro and Riiber only extended the gap to defend their World Championship title in a time of 43:57.7, 42.7 seconds clear of Germany. Meanwhile, Austria rounded off the podium 49.1s off the winners. Sportsbeat 2021