Koivuranta wins Nordic combined World Cup, Demong last race

Mar 15, 2009, 11:40 GMT

Vikersund, Norway - Anssi Koivuranta of Finland clinched the Nordic combined skiing World Cup title on Sunday with an eighth-place finish in the season-finale won by American world champion Bill Demong.

Koivuranta, 20, only required 29th place to clinch the title in the case that Norwegian rival Magnus Moan won, and all speculation ended when the Finn placed fourth in the morning ski-jumping portion.

Demong got his fifth season win by clocking 26 minutes 31.6 in the 10-kilometres cross-country pursuit, ahead of Norwegians Petter Tande (9.8 seconds behind) and Mikko Kokslien (10.3).

Koivuranta raised his arms into the sunny Norwegian skies as he crossed the line, with Norwegian King Harald V leading the congratulations after he received the crystal trophy.

He topped the final standings with 1,461 points from 24 events. Moan was 13th to finish with 1,350 points and Demong was third with 1,160 points. Koivuranta and Moan won seven events each, but Koivuranta had eight further podium finishes to Moan's three.

Koivuranta gave Finland a seventh World Cup title in the sport, following in the footsteps of Samppa Lajunen (1997, 2000) and Hannu Manninen (2004-2007).

He made his World Cup debut at age 15 in March 2004 and got his first podium January 2005 in Lahti, Finland. Koivuranta helped Finland to Olympic bronze 2006 and a world championship gold in 2007 in the team event before his real breakthrough came this season.

Koivuranta got his first World Cup win on November 30 in Kuusamo, Finland, and never looked back to become the second-youngest champion, with only Lajunen younger at age 17 in 1997.

He failed to medal last month at the world championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, but has the chance to make for it next season at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.