– It is hopeless. It’s not something they can hold a jury meeting about. There is no room for anyone there, says Riiber. – In that case, you have to dishonor the Germans, if there is anyone to be dishonored there, says Espen Andersen. Towards the race, Riiber moved from Germany’s Julian Schmid and crossed the finish line first, but it was the situation right at the front that created discussion and led to a jury meeting being held. Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger himself had little faith that the jury meeting would change the outcome. – I don’t think that protest will be successful. It was such a close match, so you have to at least try. It was very close. I do not know. I hope it goes through, but I think it was OK from Jarl, says the German. – I don’t really understand why there is a jury meeting. I think the matter is quite clear. Jarl goes first and enters the turn first. Schmid tries his hand at a freak on the inside and then of course it becomes very tight. It’s just barely enough that Jarl doesn’t fall, says news’s cross-country expert Fredrik Aukland. And after a few minutes the message also came – there was Norwegian gold in Planica. See the situation that led to the jury meeting here: Thriller cross-country Norway went first in the cross-country in the combined men’s team competition in the WC, but after a strong stage from Eric Frenzel, the entire Norwegian lead was eaten up. The next two stages were characterized by tactical trickery and on the last stage Jarl Magnus Riiber went out together with German Julian Schmid. Just over 20 seconds separated World Cup leader Johannes Lamparter, but the calm pace at the front meant that Austria also got into the gold race. – It will be more exciting than we want, but he must be fast. We have to hope for the best, said Jens Lurås Oftebro, who ran the second stage for Norway. Riiber himself described it as nerve-wracking to have the role of anchorman before the cross-country skiing and before the last downhill there was almost a fight between Riiber and Schmid. – The jury must of course go in and look at it, says news commentator Jann Post. – Was it in there then, asked expert commentator Torgeir Bjørn. On the last hill, Riiber got a gap and went in for Norwegian gold. After watching the replay of the incident, Bjørn believes that Riiber stayed within the rules. – I mean that quite clearly. It is Riiber who is first. Schmid tries to go on the inside and there is no room. Then it is the German who is responsible. Then I think the danger is over, says Bjørn. – When Jarl sticks, he is ahead of Schmid, so there shouldn’t be any problem, says sports manager Ivar Stuan. FIRST ACROSS THE FINISH: Jarl Magnus Riiber. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB Nor does news’s cross-country expert Fredrik Aukland think the incident amounts to a disqualification. – I would see it as a “race incident”, says Aukland. – The mood in the “paddock” was impressively bad. I understand that I have been involved in some things. It’s sick. It was completely dead in there, says Riiber. Follow the rest of the broadcast here: Seventh WC gold for Riiber For Riiber, it is the seventh time he has won WC gold, of which three individual golds and four team golds. With seven WC golds, he tied Germany’s Eric Frenzel as the one with the most WC golds in combined. In return, Frenzel has eight silvers and three bronzes, while Riiber has three silvers in addition to the six golds. Riiber (and Frenzel) both have the opportunity to take their eighth WC gold in the individual competition in the big hill on Saturday. For Frenzel, it is his 18th WC medal, which makes him the male athlete with the most medals in the skiing WC, one medal more than Bjørn Dæhlie. Marit Bjørgen has 26 WC medals. Riiber with a super jump Norway got a brilliant starting point before the cross-country skiing, thanks in large part to Jarl Magnus Riiber. With the competition’s longest jump, 139 metres, he was clearly the best of all. – It’s one of the wildest things I’ve seen in combined, said teammate Espen Andersen about Riiber. Before the cross-country skiing, Norway had 20 and 23 seconds down on the two biggest competitors, Austria and Germany. For Norway, Andersen went on the first leg of the cross-country trail, while Jens Lurås Oftebro, Jørgen Graabak and Riiber went on the next three legs. Riiber was also anchorman on the Norwegian team that took WC gold in 2019 and 2021, but was open to Jørgen Graabak, who was anchorman in Riiber’s absence at the Olympics last year, taking that role in Planica. – We have a management that we would like to increase. At the same time, historically speaking, I have had a good finish and hopefully have the mental advantage over the competitors, Riiber said before the cross-country about the choice of anchorman. – Much more tactical play than we had expected, Germany put everything aside to close the gap to Norway during the first part of the competition. With a strong finish, Eric Frenzel brought in the entire Norwegian lead on the first stage and sent Vinzenz Geiger out together with Oftebro. – He has eaten up Norway on this stage, Bjørn said of Frenzel’s stage. COME IN: Eric Frenzel brought in Norway’s lead and only switched after the first stage. Espen Andersen in the German’s back. Photo: JOE KLAMAR / AFP The second stage was characterized by trickery. Only with one and a half kilometers left of the 5 kilometer stage did Geiger pick up the pace. However, Oftebro was glued to Geiger’s back skis and also switched first. Tactical play also characterized the third stage and both Austria and France almost got up to Norway and Germany before the pace was turned up. – It is a much more tactical game than we had expected, said Bjørn. There was no gap between Graabak and German Johannes Rydzek either, and thus Riiber and German Julian Schmid went out on the last stage as equals. In the last uphill, Riiber pulled away and went in for gold.
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Riiber took Norway to team gold after a tactical thriller – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
