It also showed the biggest format changes since the introduction of the Gundersen method at the 1985 World Championships in Seefeld, Austria.
These changes also affected the Nordic combined program for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver though the mass start was excluded.
The United States, which had two medals in Nordic combined prior to this championships (Johnny Spillane: gold in 7.5 km sprint at Val di Fiemme in 2003 and Bill Demong: silver in 15 km individual at Sapporo in 2007), won a total of four medals with three golds and a bronze.
A fourth American medal was prevented when Demong was disqualified in the ski jumping part of the 4 x 5 km freestyle team event for failing to wear his bib during competition, dropping the US to 12th and forcing their withdrawal from the cross country portion of the event.
The Japanese won their first gold medal at the championships in the team event since 1995 when they edged the Germans in a photo finish.
[1][2] The Nordic combined changes were approved at an autumn seasonal meeting in Zürich, Switzerland, the week of 29 September 2008.
Norway's Magnus Moan had the fastest time in the cross country portion to move from 44th to his final position of 17th, followed by Demong and Lodwick.
Norway's Magnus Moan would have the fastest time in the cross country portion of the event, moving from 34th to his fifth-place finish.
American Bill Demong redeemed himself from his disqualification in the 4 x 5 km team event two days earlier by winning his first individual world championship gold medal and his second overall.
[3] Asikainen had the longest jump of the ski jumping part with 136.0 m. Kokslien had the fastest first leg of the relay to move Norway from sixth to fourth with the top three leaders at the first exchange being Japan, Austria (who would finish fifth), and France (who would finish fourth).
Kircheisen of Germany ran the fastest third leg to move his country at the third exchange from third to first with Japan and Norway holding second and third, respectively.