Nordic Combined

First the thrill of the jump, where what counts is length, style and the elegance of technical expression; then the hard slog of cross-country skiing, demanding physical stamina and the athlete's fluidity of movements.

This unique event originated in Northern Europe. And the Norwegians dominate the Olympic podium, having taken 10 golds in the last 18 editions.

The nordic combined comprises two different disciplines: the ski jumping and the cross-country skiing<.

There are three heats in the Nordic Combined, two individual and one team event:

The ski jumping heat is held first, followed by cross-country skiing. Competitions are held in accordance with the rules of the respective disciplines.

Olympic competitions

There are two individual competitions: the Individual Gundersen, with the NH ski jumping event combined to the 15 km cross-country skiing event, and the SPRINT, with a single jump and the 7.5 km cross-country.

At present, four athletes make up the team formation; before the 1998 Nagano Olympics, the team was made up of three athletes and the relay was 3x10 km.

Gundersen Method and Scores

Each athlete performs two jumps which are evaluated in terms of points scored. At the end of the ski jumping event, the judges assign an overall score that takes into account the length, technical performance and style exhibited in both jumps. Since the methods of evaluation used for the two disciplines comprising the Nordic Combined are completely different (points for the jumping event and time for the cross-country skiing race) it was essential to devise an entirely original method.

The starting order for the cross-country skiing race is therefore determined by the results of the ski jumping. A fifteen point gap accumulated in the jump event is equivalent to a minute’s advantage in the cross-country skiing race. The winner of the ski jump starts first, followed by the other athletes.

The winner of the overall event is the first athlete to reach the finishing line in the cross-country skiing race. Unlike cross-country skiing, which is set out in two specialities, classic and freestyle technique (skating), in the Nordic Combined, the jump from the ramp is followed by freestyle (skating) cross-country skiing and not classic.

Source: www.torino2006.org

Event schedule