Gyda Westvold Hansen won seven of the eight World Cup legs last season ©Getty Images

The women's Nordic Combined World Cup season began the same way most of the last went - with Gyda Westvold Hansen the winner.

The Norwegian held a 12-second lead at the midpoint of the 5 kilometres Gundersen in Lillehammer.

A jump of 101 metres, scoring 134.3 points, facilitated that lead.

The 20-year-old that up with a superb ski to win by more than a minute.

Westvold Hansen crossed the line after 14min 27.1sec.

The 19-year-old Annika Sieff from Austria was 1:11.5 back in second place.

Italian Nathalie Armbruster - who is only 16 - was third, making the World Cup podium for the first time.

A 10km Gundersen is scheduled tomorrow.

The World Cup season is starting against a backdrop of disappointment for the athletes after women's Nordic combined was left off the programme for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

The International Ski and Snowboard Federation had lobbied heavily for women's Nordic combined to be added to the programme, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not follow suit.

In fact, the IOC has warned Nordic combined could be axed from the Olympics altogether, citing poor audience figures and a lack of competing countries.