Eero Hirvonen made history for Finland at the Milan-Cortina Olympics by winning bronze in the Nordic combined normal hill and 10 km cross-country event.
Eero Hirvonen of Finland claimed the bronze medal in the combined normal hill and 10 km cross-country skiing event at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, marking Finland’s first medal of the Games.
The 30-year-old surged past Austria’s Stefan Rettenegger on the final climb and nearly caught up with Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro and Austria’s Johannes Lamparter, who secured gold and silver respectively.
Hirvonen finished just 2.5 seconds behind the winner.
Slushy conditions in Val di Fiemme led to a mass start for the race, as Finnish athletes had anticipated.
Hirvonen experienced minor slips before the final lap as he entered the stadium with Oftebro but managed to avoid losing any equipment—and thus avoided disqualification risks.
Oftebro pulled ahead at the top of the hill and crossed the finish line first.
Lamparter secured the silver medal, while Rettenegger and Hirvonen competed for bronze.
This marks Finland’s first Olympic medal in Nordic combined since earning team bronze at Turin 2006—20 years ago!
“Quite a lot of people to thank around here. There are a huge number of people who have been around here over the years—right now and along the way. Without them, we wouldn’t be here,” Hirvonen said after the race in a live TV interview with the national broadcaster YLE.
