Austria celebrates podium sweep in Val di Fiemme

Team Austria closed the Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix season in style with a historic performance in Val di Fiemme (ITA), taking all three podium spots—and even filling the top five—in the men’s final competition.

The day began on the HS143 large hill in Predazzo, where Franz-Josef Rehrl delivered a standout jump of 139.5 meters (141.1 points), setting a new hill record and earning the lead for the afternoon’s 10 km roller ski race in Ziano di Fiemme. Paul Walcher followed with 132 meters (139.6 points), starting six seconds back, while Thomas Rettenegger was third with 132.5 meters (133.2 points), 32 seconds behind Rehrl.

During the roller ski race, Walcher quickly closed the gap and was only 0.3 seconds behind after 2.5 km. A chasing Austrian group—Thomas Rettenegger, Johannes Lamparter, Stefan Rettenegger, and Richard Stenzel—worked together roughly 36 seconds down. At halfway, Walcher briefly took the lead, with Rehrl just 0.4 seconds behind, and the chasers cut the deficit to 24 seconds. By 7.5 km, Stefan Rettenegger and Lamparter had reduced the gap to eight seconds.

In the final lap, the pursuers caught the leaders, setting up a dramatic finish. Stefan Rettenegger attacked decisively to take the win—his second Grand Prix victory—while Rehrl finished second at +1.7 seconds and Walcher third at +3.7 seconds. Lamparter placed fourth (+29.6), and Thomas Rettenegger fifth (+33.7), giving Austria a clean sweep of the top five.