On the back of an unexpected victory in the Nordic Combined by Georg Hettich, Germany’s dream start at Torino has continued, winning the first two gold medals of the Games.

27-year-old Hettich finished 9.8 seconds ahead of Austrian Felix Gottwald and Magnus Moan of Norway in the 15 kilometre cross-country leg of the individual Gundersen.

Moan pipped team mate and training partner Petter Tande in a final sprint by 0.1 seconds. Jaakko Tallus of Finland was 5th.

Pre-race favourite, Hannu Manninen of Finland, had to settle for 9th place, one minute and 35 seconds behind Hettich.

Manninen started the 15 kilometre cross-country race strongly and was 5th at the half way mark. Gottwald and Moan attacked on the third 3.75 kilometre loop and the world number one couldn’t keep up with them.

Hettich won the ski jumping leg of the event but wasn’t expected to feature in the overall podium results.

It is Hettich’s first individual medal at an Olympics or World Championship.

For Gottwald, it was his best individual result at an Olympics and for Moan, it was his first medal at his first Olympics.

Tom Read/AOC
Torino