Felix Gottwald of Austria has won his second gold medal of the Games taking out the Nordic combined sprint on 21 February (Day 11) at Pragelato, in a time of 18 minutes 29 seconds. The sprint win adds to his 1st place in the team’s event on Day 6 and silver in the individual gundersen competition on Day 1.

“My strategy was only to go as fast as possible,” he said. “I felt very good in the uphill today. I just had to be patient until the end of the race.”

Norwegian Magnus-H. Moan finished 2nd, 5.4 seconds behind Gottwald whilst Germany’s Georg Hettich took bronze to end his Olympics with a medal of each colour.

Moan won gold in the gundersen and silver in the team event.

Pre-Games favourites for all the Nordic combined events Ronny Ackermann of Germany and Finland’s Hannu Manninen once again failed to impress as they finished in 8th and 12th respectively.

Victory seemed near impossible for Gottwald after the ski jumping where he placed in 12th and started the 7.5 kilometre cross country leg 54 seconds behind leader Hettich.

However, after the first few kilometres, the 30-year-old surged to the lead and pulled away over the last 1.5 kilometres.

Gottwald’s win is a highlight in an Olympics that has been sweet and sour for Austria. They have surged to their greatest performance at an Olympic Games, Summer or Winter, with eight gold medals by Day 11. But this is being overshadowed by a doping scandal involving their biathlon and cross country teams.

Tom Read/AOC
Torino