Ilkka Herola and Eero Hirvonen made headlines as they captured a silver medal in the team event at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, contributing significantly to Finland's presence in winter sports. This success marked a high point in both athletes' careers, following Herola's earlier bronze in the large hill event and Hirvonen's bronze in the normal hill, thus spotlighting their competitive achievements on an international stage.

The financial implications of their performance are noteworthy, as both athletes earned €15,000 from the silver medal and the Finnish Olympic Committee awards an additional €30,000 for each silver medal. With 50% of this amount shared among the team, both Herola and Hirvonen, in total, have accumulated €39,000 including previous winnings, which is significant given the generally low prize money in their sport.

Despite their recent achievements, the combined events are under pressure as combined events remain the only Olympic sports excluding female participation. This ongoing issue raises concerns about the future viability and growth of the sport, prompting discussions on how to attract and retain interest in combined events, especially considering its unique position on the Olympic stage.