Two-time silver medalist Akito Watabe's bid for his first Olympic gold medal failed to even land him on the podium after a disappointing jump at the Beijing Games' normal hill individual Nordic combined event on Wednesday.

Watabe finished seventh, 32.4 seconds behind the gold medalist Vinzenz Geiger of Germany. Watabe started the 10-kilometer cross-country race tied for ninth.

Joergen Graabak of Norway finished 0.8 second back for silver, followed by Austria's Lukas Greiderer, who crossed 6.6 seconds back of Geiger.

Akito Watabe of Japan soars through the air in the ski jumping portion of the Nordic combined individual Gundersen normal hill event at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 9, 2022, at the National Ski Jumping Centre in Zhangjiakou, China. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"If I don't get a medal I don't pay attention to where I finish. I think I could have won a medal given the way the race developed, so I'm frustrated having missed that," Watabe said.

In the ski jump portion, Watabe flew 98.0 meters for 114.1 points, starting the cross-country race 1:16 behind the leader, Japanese compatriot Ryota Yamamoto, who finished 14th.

Akito Watabe of Japan is pictured after crossing the finish line in the 10-kilometer cross-country portion of the Nordic combined individual Gundersen normal hill event at the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 9, 2022, in Zhangjiakou, China. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

"I think I skied well...If I had a better jump and had been able to save my energy for the critical moment, then I could have been competitive," said Watabe, who started the race 10 seconds ahead of Geiger.

Asked why he looked so calm, the 33-year-old said with a bitter laugh that it was nothing new.

"It's been too frustrating (this season) not having achieved the results I've expected. I have become numb to frustration."

Watabe still has two shots, in the individual large-hill and the team event.

"I'll cool my thoughts and try again to deliver a good jump," he said.

Olympic debutant Yamamoto jumped 108.0 meters to score 133.0 points to go into the cross-country race in first place with a 38-second head start over Greiderer.

Watabe's younger brother Yoshito finished 13th, while Sora Yachi was 30th.

Leading candidates Germany's Eric Frenzel and Jarl Magnus Riiber of Norway were absent from the event at Zhangjiakou National Ski Jumping Centre after testing positive for the coronavirus.


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