Nordic Combined
Throughout Norway in the 1800s, skiers gathered each winter for
a series of ski carnivals consisting of small athletic competitions
combined with some entertainment.
Considered the best of all the carnival athletes, a small group specialized in both cross-country skiing, demanding endurance and strength, and ski jumping, requiring physical strength and technical control.
Men have competed in Nordic combined individual events since the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The team event was introduced at the Calgary 1988 Winter Games, while the sprint event joined the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games in 2002.
Considered the best of all the carnival athletes, a small group specialized in both cross-country skiing, demanding endurance and strength, and ski jumping, requiring physical strength and technical control.
Men have competed in Nordic combined individual events since the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The team event was introduced at the Calgary 1988 Winter Games, while the sprint event joined the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games in 2002.
How It Works
The jumping portion occurs first followed by a free technique
cross-country race. The break between the jumping and the
cross-country race can be as little as 35 minutes, or as long as a
few hours.
Known as a “Gunderson” or pursuit start, the jumping results generate the starting seed for the cross-country race that follows, with the second and remaining athletes beginning seconds or even minutes after the best jumper. Using pack-racing strategies, the athletes cluster into “trains” that chase down other athlete trains. The winner of the Nordic combined event is the first athlete across the cross-country finish line.
Individual
This event consists of two jumps on a “normal hill” (flights of about 105 metres in length) followed by a 15-kilometre cross-country race.
Known as a “Gunderson” or pursuit start, the jumping results generate the starting seed for the cross-country race that follows, with the second and remaining athletes beginning seconds or even minutes after the best jumper. Using pack-racing strategies, the athletes cluster into “trains” that chase down other athlete trains. The winner of the Nordic combined event is the first athlete across the cross-country finish line.
Individual
This event consists of two jumps on a “normal hill” (flights of about 105 metres in length) followed by a 15-kilometre cross-country race.
Sprint
The sprint event is similar to the individual event except that the athletes jump on a “large hill” (flights of about 140 metres in length), complete only one ski jump and race 7.5-kilometre cross-country course.
Team
A Nordic combined team is made up of four athletes, each taking two jumps on the large hill. The results for each team member are added together and the team with the highest combined score begins the cross-country race first. The four athletes then complete a 5-kilometre cross-country relay race. The winner is the team who crosses the finish line first after the completion of four laps.
The sprint event is similar to the individual event except that the athletes jump on a “large hill” (flights of about 140 metres in length), complete only one ski jump and race 7.5-kilometre cross-country course.
Team
A Nordic combined team is made up of four athletes, each taking two jumps on the large hill. The results for each team member are added together and the team with the highest combined score begins the cross-country race first. The four athletes then complete a 5-kilometre cross-country relay race. The winner is the team who crosses the finish line first after the completion of four laps.
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