Riiber Leads After Start Of Nordic Combined, USA With Work To Do In Upcoming Cross Country
Feb 15, 2022, 3:10 AM
Jarl Magnus Riiber of Team Norway celebrates competes during Individual Gundersen Large Hill/10km, Ski Jumping Competition Round on day 11 of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics at The National Cross-Country Skiing Centre on February 15, 2022 in Zhangjiakou, China. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
(Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber jumped 142 meters (466 feet) and had 139.8 points in the first phase of Nordic combined, giving him a 44-second lead in the 10-kilometer cross-country race later Tuesday.
It was an impressive performance from the three-time world champion, who returned to the competition after being in isolation for more than 10 days because he tested positive for COVID-19.
Estonia’s Kristjan Ilves, who also had tested positive for COVID, will start the cross-country race second alongside Japan’s Ryota Yamaoto.
RELATED STORIES
The athlete who jumps the farthest and impresses judges the most starts the cross-country portion of Nordic combined with a lead. The rest of the field follows, in order of the finish in ski jumping. The first to cross the finish line wins gold.
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Frenzel of Germany is out of isolation and the team is hopeful he will be fit to compete Thursday in the Nordic combined team event.
The top American entering the cross country event is Ben Loomis who will start 2 minutes and 26 seconds behind Riiber. Loomis is currently in 17th place while fellow American Jared Shumate is hot on his heels in 19th. Taylor Fletcher and Jasper Good are the only other members from the United States in the field and they finished in 35th and 36th respectively.
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics
Just a year after Japan’s summer Olympics, the Games are back for a winter show in Beijing, China. The unusually short gap between Games is due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Strict precautions and enforced virus prevention protocol are in place to help keep athletes, coaches and personnel safe.
Beijing is the capital of China, with a population of more than 20 million people and the first city to host both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. It is one of the largest cities in the world and 15 hours ahead of Mountain Time. There are 13 different venues in and around Beijing that will be used for the Winter Olympics. A total of 109 events will be held in 15 different sports, and there will be a lot of Utah locals competing for medals. Keep up to date with them at our Olympic headquarters.
Follow along on social for Olympic stories, news and medal updates.
Follow our Olympic team for special coverage and exclusive content.
