Each of the four team members performed a single jump that was judged in the same format as the Olympic ski jumping competition. The scores for all the jumps each team were combined and used to calculate their deficit in the cross-country skiing portion of the event. Each point difference between teams in the ski jumping portion in this event resulted in a 1.33 second difference in the cross country part of the event (i.e. one minute cross country from 45 points in ski jumping).[8] At the previous Olympics in Turin, the point-time differential was one point equaling one second. The ski jumping portion took place with a trial round at 10:30 PST and the competition round at 11:30 PST.[1] Finland's Ryynänen had the longest jump in the ski jumping part of the competition with 138.5 m, which helped the Finns have a two-second advantage over the Americans at the cross-country portion of the event.[9]
The start for the 4 x 5 kilometre relay race was staggered, with a one-point deficit in the ski jump portion resulting in a 1.33 second deficit in starting the cross-country course. This stagger means that the first team across the finish line won the event. The start time for the cross country portion of the event took place at 14:00 PST that same day.[1] Top three teams at the start of the cross-country portion of the event were Finland (who would finish seventh), the United States, and Austria. Eventual fifth-place finisher Norway's Schmid had the fastest first leg to propel his team from seventh to sixth, with the top three teams at the first exchange being the United States, Finland, and Austria. David Kreiner of Austria had both the fastest second leg and fastest cross-country leg overall to move his team from third to second, with the top three teams at the second exchange being the United States, Austria, and France (who would finish fourth). Kreiner's teammate, Felix Gottwald, had the fastest leg in the third leg to move past American Johnny Spillane for the lead, with German Eric Frenzel moving his team past France's Sebastien Lacroix for third place at the third exchange. Bill Demong of the United States closed the 14.1 second gap to Austria's Mario Stecher down to a lead heading into the final descent before slipping. Stecher moved ahead to win Austria its second straight gold medal in this event, with Bernhard Gruber replacing Michael Gruber, and Kreiner replacing Bieler. Defending World champion Japan, with Takahashi replacing Minato, finished a disappointing sixth. Germany won the bronze, with Rydzek replacing Hettich. It was the first Olympic medals for Gruber, Kreiner, Camerota, Lodwick, Demong, Rydzek, Edelmann, and Frenzel.[10] The 5.2 second margin of victory was the closest at the Winter Olympics in this event since West Germany's 3.4 second win over Switzerland at Calgary in 1988.[11]
^Wallechinsky, David and Jaime Loucky (2009). "Nordic Combined: Team". In The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: 2010 Edition. London: Aurum Press Limited. p. 277.