Nordic combined · International
Riiber wins Seefeld mass start after retirement announcement
The Norwegian converted a narrow cross-country lead into an eight-point victory over Johannes Lamparter in the Triple’s opening competition.
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Riiber turns a ski-race lead into victory
Jarl Magnus Riiber won the men’s Nordic combined mass start in Seefeld on 31 January 2025, securing his fourth World Cup victory of the season and extending his record to 77 individual wins. The Norwegian first prevailed in the ten-kilometre cross-country race, where the front of the field remained close through several changes of leader. He finished in 24 minutes 7.2 seconds, with Jens Luraas Oftebro 0.6 seconds behind and Jørgen Graabak another 0.8 seconds back. Those small gaps left the afternoon jumping phase decisive. Riiber’s 109-metre jump brought his total to 126.6 points and put him ahead of Austria’s Johannes Lamparter and Oftebro. The victory also increased his advantage in the overall World Cup standings to 96 points, giving the opening Seefeld competition significance beyond the three-day meeting.
Eight points clear at the top
The official final table recorded Lamparter second on 118.6 points and Oftebro third on 118.4. Riiber’s winning margin was therefore eight points, while the contest for second was settled by only two tenths of a point. Finland’s Ilkka Herola finished fourth, 12.1 points behind the winner. The contrast between the narrow separation within the podium and Riiber’s larger advantage shows how clearly he finished ahead of his closest challengers. The classification is the combined outcome of skiing and jumping; the Norwegian one-two-three at the morning finish did not survive intact into the final result.
Lamparter delivers for the host nation
For the Austrian team, Lamparter’s second place supplied a successful start at home. In the national federation’s report, he said he was very satisfied with the result and explained that he had focused on producing a strong jump after the skiing race. He also acknowledged Riiber’s performance. Stefan Rettenegger finished sixth, and five Austrian athletes placed among the leading thirteen. That depth accompanied the host team’s podium, rather than replacing the central outcome: Riiber had won.
Three formats across the weekend
The German federation’s programme set Friday’s mass start as the first of three different competition formats. A compact event over 7.5 kilometres was scheduled for Saturday, followed by a 12.5-kilometre Gundersen on Sunday. Coach Eric Frenzel had welcomed that sequence in his preview and described Seefeld as a highlight of the season. Friday thus supplied the opening result of the Triple. Its January date also distinguishes this competition from the remaining stages, which fell in February.
A win after an announced season-end retirement
The event followed Riiber’s 29 January announcement that he would retire at the end of the season. The five-time overall champion had identified his health and more time with his family as priorities. He still planned to compete in Seefeld and at the home World Championships in Trondheim. Friday’s success came within that continuing final-season programme, two days after the announcement.
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