World Cup winner Chappuis wins at season finale

Mar 14, 2010, 13:48 GMT

Oslo - Frenchman Jason Lamy Chappuis on Sunday won the finale Nordic combined World Cup event of the season, beating Austrian Felix Gottwald.

Olympic champion Chappuis, who had already assured himself of the World Cup victory ahead of the final race, was lying second after the jump section of the race after a fantastic leap of 135 metres, which broke the hill record.

Chappuis then had no problems going to the front, winning in a time of 25 minutes 58.3 seconds.

Gottwald was 14.5 seconds behind, while Magnus Moan of Norway took third place in a sprint finish from Austrian Mario Stecher.

The three leading athletes finished in the same order in the World Cup, with Chappuis taking the title with 1,155 points, from Gottwald (879) and Moan (747).

On Saturday athletes from all nations, who had originally pondered a boycott of the Oslo event in anger over the highly unfair conditions due to changing winds at the jumping portion of the recent Olympic large hill event, unfurled a big banner at the finish line of the team event which read: 'Message to FIS. This is our goal: Treat us with respect.'

The general secretary of the governing body FIS, Sarah Lewis said that they had noted the protest. 'Of course it is not a good thing, but our doors are always open to discuss problems. The athletes have our respect and we respect their performances.'