The Finnish pilot made fun of the Austrian star’s characteristic style – now Johannes Lamparter, 21, is close to a rare feat

Johannes Lamparter, 21, can become the first Austrian man to win the combined World Cup in 22 years.

Austria is one of the few top countries in the combined event, but no athlete from the country has been able to win the overall World Cup competition for more than 20 years. The previous winner is legendary Felix Gottwald from the season 2000–2001.

There is a good chance of ending the winless streak this season. 21-year-old Austrian Johannes Lamparter leads the World Cup by a margin of 121 points ahead of Norway Jens Lurås from Oftebrowith four individual races remaining.

The 2000s saw several multiple overall winners in the combined event. Germany’s Eric Frenzel won the title five times (2013–2017). Hannu Manninen (2004–2007) and Norway Jarl Magnus Riiber (2019–2022) won the overall competition four times.

Even after Gottwald, the Austrians have achieved prestigious medals, but the team has not had a solid star like the ones mentioned above for a long time.

– Finding one is not incredibly easy. It happens once every 20-30 years. Before Akito Watabe win (2018) Japan had a 20-year hiatus, Urheilu’s expert Petter Kukkonen refers to the overall race.

In high spirits

Riiber, who broke Manninen’s all-time winning record in the World Cup last year, has therefore won the previous four overall races. According to Kukkonen, Lamparter’s streak of success is at least partially explained by the fact that Riiber was sick a lot at the beginning of the year. In the recently concluded World Championships, however, Riiber won every trip, four gold medals.

On the other hand, Lamparter’s early season was also difficult. He only achieved his first podium finish of the season in the seventh race in Ramsau.

After that, the 2021 world champion found a hard way. He has been on the podium 11 times and set his single-season record for wins (7).

Riiber won both individual championships at the World Championships in Planica. Lamparter won bronze in the final race.

– He was even almost invincible before the World Championships. If he can maintain his World Cup form, it will probably be enough to win the overall race, Kukkonen estimates.

Endurance sports fanatic

The Austrian combined men are profiled as tough jumpers. Lamparter is very good on the hill, but according to Kukkonen, he still differs from the prototype of the country’s athletes.

– He likes to be active in the tubing and to lead the group. Through that, he tries to strongly determine the course of the competition. In recent years, Austrians have become accustomed to being seen as peesailers who try to hang in with the group as well as possible.

Lamparter is also an Austrian athlete with a different training background.

– He is not so strongly a product of the system, even though he has come through it. I have understood that the parents have carefully controlled his training. He trains endurance much more than other Austrians.

– In his free time, he goes hiking in the mountains for 3–4 hours. Many others might go to the beach to play beach volleyball. He is an endurance sports fanatic.

The Finnish and Austrian teams were skiing in the same scenery at the end of last season. They were able to exchange their thoughts together. Kukkonen served as the head coach of the combined Finnish national team until the end of last season.

– Somewhere towards the end of the evening, we acknowledged that his skiing technique is hasty and that he is not terribly good in the final stages.

Lamparter had at least somehow bought into Kukkonen’s idea.

– The boys said on the summer tour that he has tried really hard to develop his skiing technique, says Kukkonen.

From Ilkka Herola the best jumping of the season was not seen in Planica. Kukkonen hopes that Finland’s top jumper will be able to see easy jumping again in Oslo and next week in Lahti.

– Oslo has often been a good place for him. I would hope to see him in the fight for the podium.

Competed in the World Championships Eero Hirvonen and Arttu Mäkiaho missed Oslo due to illness.