Nordic Combined has been about Germany, Austria, Norway, Finland & Japan for the last 30 years. USA & France have tailed off and we have random field-fillers from Italy or Czech Republic. The competition hasn't really changed much since like forever
He was probably too young to win one in 1964 and too old in 1976.
Moreover in 1968 was still the luge king however a judge DSQ all three female East German lugers for heating the runners so maybe the DDR men actually didn't do it which enabled Schmid to win on even terms.
Kowalczyk said Karlsson probably gassed out in skiathlon. Andersson was a non-factor there so I guess she had more energy stored and still couldn't do much.
Justyna Kowalczyk said Sweden seems to have the same problem for years, they're peaking early in the season and then in March again. If not for sprint depth this would be another complete failure with even Karlsson unable to save it. Ebba Anderson is completely nowhere.
The all-around speciallists are gone. Literally nobody does all four events among men anymore. Tina Maze was the last true all-arounder among women since Lara Gut has quit on regular slaloms some time ago and Shiffrin doing Lake Louise DH is also temporary. Combined has become expendable when FIS discovered that parallel events can become exciting.