World Championships in Trondheim:

Women’s Nordic Combined – LIVE from 12 noon

Lisa Hirner celebrates World Championship bronze.

(Bild: GEPA)

Lisa Hirner has brought Austria its next medal at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Trondheim. The 21-year-old combined skier skied to a bronze medal on Sunday. Gold went to Gyda Westvold Hansen from Norway, silver to her compatriot Ida Marie Hagen.

Lisa Hirner surprisingly won bronze in the normal hill competition in Trondheim and gave the Austrian combined athletes their first women's individual medal at the World Championships. After winning mixed team bronze, the Styrian skied to her second medal at the championships in Norway on Sunday and her third overall. Gold in the final women's combined event in Trondheim went to local hero Gyda Westvold Hansen, silver went to compatriot Ida Marie Hagen.

Lisa Hirner

(Bild: Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

"It was an incredible day. I had incredible equipment and everything worked perfectly. A big thank you to the whole team," said an overjoyed Hirner in the finish area of the Granåsen cross-country stadium. "The jumping went well, the running better and now I'm going home with two medals. I'm really happy." Wilhelm Denifl was also delighted. "That's really cool, she's made history," said the ÖSV head coach, who was "very positive" after the three women's events. "A medal would have been good, the rest is an encore. We were the dangerous underdogs and she took advantage of that."

Autoimmune disease stopped Hirner
Hirner had traveled to the World Championships with health problems in the run-up to the event and was therefore behind in training. "A week and a half ago, I didn't know if I would be able to race up there and now I'm standing here with two medals. Unbelievable," said the 21-year-old, who was diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that can lead to inflammation of the thyroid gland, just a few weeks ago. "This is the most important podium finish of my career," emphasized Hirner before flying home on Monday.

Ida Marie Hagen, Gyda Westvold Hansen and Lisa Hirner (from left to right)

(Bild: GEPA)

Her second place in the jumping competition put her in an excellent starting position. In the cross-country race over 5 km, Hirner confidently kept up with the two strong Norwegians and easily overtook the Norwegian jumping winner Ingrid Laate, who ultimately finished fourth. "I knew I had to keep up with them, then I had a chance of winning a medal. I managed that well, I did my job," she said and laughed.

Fast material
Hirner was also delighted with the "amazing skis" that had helped her on her medal mission. "I would never have imagined that I would be able to fight for gold right up to the last climb. Gyda and Ida were incredibly strong, I gave it a go," added the Innsbruck native, who also won bronze in the mixed team in Planica in 2023.

In the end, Hirner, who was supported by her mother and grandparents on site, was 7.5 seconds behind Westvold Hansen. The defending champion had pulled away on the final climb to secure her third gold in the fourth women's individual World Championships to date. In the final sprint with Hagen, Hirner, who finished second at last year's dress rehearsal in Trondheim, was only just short of silver.

The other Austrians were unable to get into the medal race. Claudia Purker finished 15th, Annalena Slamik came 18th and World Championship debutant Katharina Gruber finished 27th. The overall World Cup leader Nathalie Armbruster from Germany had to settle for eighth place after a weak jump.