From February 7th to 9th, the championship will see female athletes from Austria, the Czech Republic, Norway, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, and the United States competing. In the men's category, in addition to the mentioned countries, Italy, Estonia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, and Switzerland will also be represented. However, there will be no Polish competitors in the men's event.

 

Among the men, the entire top ten of the World Cup standings will be present, including Estonia’s top Nordic combined athlete, Kristjan Ilves, who currently holds 12th place in the season rankings. Notable competitors include Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger, Manuel Faisst, and Julian Schmid, Austria’s Johannes Lamparter, Stefan Rettenegger, and Franz-Josef Rehrl, as well as Finland’s Ilkka Herola. The Norwegian team features Jens Luraas Oftebro, Jørgen Graabak, and World Cup overall leader Jarl Magnus Riiber.

 

The women’s competition will also see top athletes fighting for podium positions. World Cup leader Nathalie Armbruster from Germany is set to compete, along with Norwegian contenders Ida Marie Hagen and Gyda Westvold Hansen, as well as Japanese athletes Haruka Kasai and Yuna Kasai.

 

Who are the favorites for the competition? Let’s start with the men. Looking at the rankings, it’s easy to say that the overwhelming favorite is once again Jarl Magnus Riiber, who has dominated Nordic combined in recent years. However, his performances this season have not been as convincing as in previous years. A prime example of this was last weekend’s Seefeld World Cup event, where Riiber finished second on both Friday and Saturday. One could even speculate whether he intentionally allowed Jens Luraas Oftebro and Vinzenz Geiger to claim victories on those days, as his finishing sprints at times appeared somewhat lackluster.

 

Alongside Riiber, Jens Luraas Oftebro and Vinzenz Geiger are considered the other top favorites, as they currently hold fourth and second place in the season rankings, respectively. However, Oftebro's biggest question mark remains his ski jumping, as his performances on the hill have been rather inconsistent this season. Of course, one cannot overlook Julian Schmid and the 2021/2022 World Cup overall winner Johannes Lamparter, who struggled with his finishing speed last weekend.

 

Kristjan Ilves also has his chances, though his ski jumping has been a major issue. In the past three seasons, he ranked second, seventh, and sixth among the best jumpers, but this season he is only in 15th place. On the other hand, his cross-country skiing has improved significantly. Looking at the past three seasons, Ilves finished fifth in the overall skiing rankings each time.

 

In cross-country performance, Ilves ranked 22nd in the 2021/2022 season, improved to 18th the following year, and reached 16th last season. This year, he has climbed all the way to 10th place. For Estonia’s top Nordic combined athlete to compete with the world's best, he will need to regain his jumping consistency—perhaps overnight, as he did at last year’s Otepää World Cup event.

 

The Women’s Nordic Combined World Cup is still in its early stages, having been officially organized only since 2021. Before that, the highest level of competition was the Continental Cup, which has been held since 2018. Because of this short history, it is difficult to determine favorites based on long-term dominance. However, based on this season’s performances, Germany’s Nathalie Armbruster is the strongest contender for stage victories. That said, defending champion Ida Marie Hagen cannot be overlooked.

 

Another strong competitor is Gyda Westvold Hansen, who has been among the sport’s top athletes for years. Her career is arguably the most impressive of the three mentioned. In the first-ever Women’s World Cup season, she finished second behind American Tara Geraghty-Moats. She then went on to claim the overall title in back-to-back seasons. Last year, she finished second, and this season, she currently holds fourth place in the overall standings.

For the women’s competition, special attention should be paid to the cross-country segment, as the top positions are dominated by the five strongest skiers.

 

* Best performances at the 2024 Otepää World Cup event:

 

Men's Nordic Combined World Cup Standings: 

 

1. Jarl Magnus Riiber (Norway) – 1015 points

* Three stage victories

 

2. Vinzenz Geiger (Germany) – 934 points

* 13th place in the first Gundersen normal hill competition

 

3. Julian Schmid (Germany) – 810 points

* 13th place in the mass start competition

 

4. Jens Luraas Oftebro (Norway) – 790 points

* 9th place in both Gundersen normal hill competitions

 

5. Johannes Lamparter (Austria) – 747 points

* 3rd place in the mass start competition and the first Gundersen normal hill competition

 

6. Ilkka Herola (Finland) – 656 points

* 8th place in both Gundersen normal hill competitions

 

7. Stefan Rettenegger (Austria) – 585 points

* 2nd place in the second Gundersen normal hill competition

 

8. Jörgen Graabak (Norway) – 520 points

* 5th place in the mass start competition

 

9. Manuel Faisst (Germany) – 517 points

* 10th place in all competitions

 

10. Franz Josef Rehrl (Austria) – 515 points

* 18th place in the first Gundersen normal hill competition

 

12. Kristjan Ilves (Estonia)

* 2nd place in the mass start competition and the first Gundersen normal hill competition

 

Women's Nordic Combined World Cup Standings: 

 

1. Nathalie Armbruster (Germany) – 755 points

* 4th place in the mass start competition

 

2. Ida Marie Hagen (Norway) – 650 points

* Stage victory in both Gundersen normal hill competitions

 

3. Haruka Kasai (Japan) – 643 points

*2nd place in the first Gundersen normal hill competition

 

4. Gyda Westvold Hansen (Norway) – 642 points

* Stage victory in the mass start competition

 

5. Yuna Kasai (Japan) – 507 points

* 6th place in the second Gundersen normal hill competition