Finland's Nordic Duo Shine, But Future Cloudy

Herola and Hirvonen's teamwork falls short of gold by 0.5 seconds

Finland's Nordic Combined duo uncertain about future after winning silver and bronze medals. Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen take silver in Nordic Combined team event, ending Finland's 'Bronze Age' at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“On the other hand, the sacrifices made for the sport are big. I've been making sacrifices for 15 years...”

Finland's Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen, the silver medal winners in Nordic Combined team large hill/2x 7.5km event, are keeping mum about their future plans. The duo, who also won bronze medals in individual events, ended Finland's “Bronze Age” at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a total of four bronze medals.

Herola, 30, hinted that the decision to retire isn't easy, saying “The decision to stop is not easy for me. I need more time to think.” Hirvonen, also 30, is more optimistic about competing next year, stating “At the moment, I believe I will compete next year as well.”

Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen's teamwork almost paid off, but they narrowly missed gold, losing to Norway's Andreas Skoglund and Jens Luras Oftebro by just 0.5 seconds in the Nordic Combined team large hill/2x 7.5km event. Oftebro took home his third gold medal, having beaten Austria's Johannes Lamparter in both individual events.

The Finnish duo, both 30, were thrilled to medal at the Olympics for the first time, but their futures remain uncertain. Neither Herola nor Hirvonen would commit to plans beyond this season, with Herola saying he's still unsure about his next steps.

"The decision to stop is not easy for me. I can't make a decision even after the last race of the season. I need more time to think,” said Herola, who described his current love of racing and finishing on podiums as: “The life I want to live.”

“On the other hand, the sacrifices made for the sport are big. I've been making sacrifices for 15 years. That's something I have to think about,” he added.

Hirvonen was more confident about his short-term prospects: “At the moment, I believe I will compete next year as well.”

Surprise? Maybe. Legendary? Definitely👑✨

Team Finland🇫🇮 with Eero Hirvonen and Ilkka Herola writing its own Olympic success story with one individual bronze medal each🥉and silver in the team sprint event🥈#fisnoco #milanocortina2026 #PassionBeyondLimits #ILoveSnow #olympics pic.twitter.com/CVoS6AEkDf

— FIS Nordic Combined (@fisnoco) February 19, 2026

 

Ilkka Herola, the Laukaa native, is finding it tough to look beyond the current season with the IOC deciding Nordic Combined's Olympic future in June. Despite this uncertainty, he's confident he's not done winning medals, saying he's still loving the competition and finishing on podiums.

“Of course, the decision may affect our team's operations. However, we are optimistic and believe that these will not be the last Olympics for the combined. I wonder if we will be participating as a sport in France 2030.”