[ROAD TO BEIJING] Nordic combined

Published
Park Je-un competes during the provisional competition round for the Men's Ski Jumping Competition at the FIS World Cup Nordic Combined in Klingenthal, Germany on March 20. [EPA/YONHAP]
Park Je-un competes during the provisional competition round for the Men's Ski Jumping Competition at the FIS World Cup Nordic Combined in Klingenthal, Germany on March 20.

One of the more confusingly named Winter Olympic sports, nordic combined is a combination of cross-country skiing and ski jumping.

Team Korea is a one-man team for nordic combined, with 28-year-old Park Je-un alone taking on the challenge.  

In 2013, Park became the first-ever Korean nordic combined athlete in the national team, alongside Kim Bong-joo.  

Park’s father, who is a two-time cross-country skiing Olympian, was Park’s coach when he debuted at the PyeongChang Olympics. At the PyeongChang Games, Park also competed in the ski jump team event as Team Korea’s fourth member.

BY YUN SO-HYANG AND JIM BULLEY [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]