Mar 18, 2025 – Among the success stories of the Trondheim 2025 Nordic World Ski Championships (WSC) was the addition of a second individual women’s Nordic Combined event.
Women’s Nordic Combined made its WSC debut at Oberstdorf 2021 with a single individual Gundersen format competition, comprising a Normal Hill Ski Jumping round followed by a 5km Cross-Country Pursuit ski. At Planica 2023, a first Mixed Team event was added to the program.
This time, at the Granåsen Ski Centre, there was also a Mass Start contest – starting with the Cross-Country leg – further expanding women’s participation to two individual competitions and the Mixed Team.
The women’s Mass Start saw the first Nordic Combined medals decided in Trondheim and, after less then two points separated the top five in the Cross-Country, Yuna Kasai claimed Japan’s first women’s NoCo world crown.
Norway’s Gyda Westvold Hansen, who would later complete a hat-trick of Gundersen titles, won silver with Kasai’s twin sister Haruka taking the bronze. Alexa Brabec of the United States was fourth ahead of a host of European athletes.
There was also innovation on the men’s side as an Individual Compact – consisting of a Normal Hill Ski Jumping round and a 7.5km Cross-Country ski – replaced the normal hill/10km Gundersen. Unlike the Gundersen, where points in the Ski Jumping phase equate to time gaps in the Cross-Country, the Compact has fixed time deficits decided by an athlete’s position in the ski jump.
And the men’s Compact produced perhaps the most thrilling NoCo finish in Trondheim as home hero Jarl Magnus Riiber outsprinted fellow Norwegian Jens Lurås Oftebro to take gold. Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger was third with just 1.1 seconds covering the medallists.
FIS Nordic Combined Race Director Lasse Ottesen said, “While the Gundersen format maintains a balance between Ski Jumping and Cross-Country Skiing, the Individual Compact leans more toward Cross-Country due to its fixed time intervals.
“On the other hand, the Mass Start is more jump-focused, as significant gaps rarely form on the course, making ski jumping the decisive factor. With these three distinct formats, we now have a well-balanced competition structure.”
The Individual Compact was introduced in the 2023-24 World Cup season and has achieved its aim of creating more engaging Cross-Country races for both men and women. “The format has brought thrilling head-to-head battles, tighter competition, and more action on the track, making for an even more dynamic and unpredictable race experience,” added Ottesen. “The feedback from athletes, spectators, and broadcasters has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The three formats place different emphasis on the two disciplines which make up NoCo with Ottesen observing, “Strong jumpers tend to favor the Mass Start, whereas endurance-focused skiers appreciate the Compact format. However, each athlete has unique strengths and therefore different preferences.
The future competition setup will be discussed in our upcoming spring meetings as we continue to refine and enhance the sport. Lasse Ottesen, FIS Nordic Combined Race Director