MANNINEN WINS WC NORDIC COMBINED FINALE

Hannu Manninenn

Sunday, March 13, 2005. Hannu Manninen edged Magnus Moan by 1.3 seconds to win a thrilling World Cup Nordic combined season finale Sunday. Manninen, who clinched his second straight overall last weekend in Lahti, Finland, finished the 7.5-kilometer cross country ski race in 18 minutes, 4.3 seconds.

Meanwhile, Moan's weekend was the best of his career. On Saturday, he beat Manninen by 28.2 seconds in the 15K race at the same venue to win the event. World Cup runner-up Ronny Ackermann of Germany finished third, 5.6 seconds back.

Austrian Felix Gottwald was fourth, beating Todd Lodwick by two spots to pass the American for third place in the final overall standings. Manninen topped the standings with 1,466 points, Ackermann had 1,070, Gottwald 677, and Lodwick 668. Moan moved to fifth with 577 points.

sfgate.com