Oftebrothers and Retteneggers chase Lamparter in Nordic Combined

World Cup leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT) will face tough competition at Milano Cortina 2026 from two sets of brothers when the Nordic Combined titles get underway with the Individual Gundersen Normal Hill/10km at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium on Wednesday.

Lamparter is showing the best form of the season and is keen to start his Olympic medal collection after finishing fourth at Beijing 2022. Challenging him will be Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro and Einar Luraas Oftebro — known as the “Oftebrothers” — and Austria’s Thomas and Stefan Rettenegger, all of whom have the pedigree to contest the title.

Jens Luraas Oftebro has been in strong World Cup form, leading the best skier standings and sitting second overall behind Lamparter, with elder brother Einar in fourth. Rather than fighting each other, the brothers typically race as a team. “We are more about trying to help each other,” Jens said. “If one of us is in front, we normally don’t go too far ahead so the other can catch up and we both get a better result. That happened in Otepää when I was chasing and also in Oberhof when I was in front and Einar was chasing.”

Jens (25) noted he enjoyed Olympic success in Beijing 2022 — gold in the Large Team Hill and silver in the Gundersen Large Hill — and said his younger brother’s career has been set back by injuries. “Einar has had huge potential for years but struggled with a lot of injuries and on the jumping hill. But he has been working really hard and is now performing to the level he deserves to be at, which is great for both of us.”

Einar added: “Nothing makes me happier than to see Jens perform well and that goes both ways. Jens has done a really good job for many years, but I know we wouldn’t be at this level without each other. We have done almost everything together for 10 years.”

The Gundersen Normal Hill could also see Thomas Rettenegger take an early advantage: this season he has been the World Cup’s best jumper, and together with brother Stefan — who has matched Thomas with three podiums this season — they both look capable of a strong result.

All athletes will also be mindful of Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger, the defending Olympic champion from Beijing 2022, who arrives having taken two podiums at the most recent World Cup event in Seefeld. Geiger skipped a training session after feeling a twinge in his knee and opted to rest before competition.

For the full Nordic Combined schedule for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, click here: https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/nordic-combined/live.html?sectorcode=NK&categorycode=OWG&gendercode=&disciplinecode=&nationcode=.