Liberec, Czech Republic  - Norihito Kobayashi won a photo finish against Germany's Tino Edelmann to give Japan a surprise world title in the Nordic combined team event on Thursday.

Kobayashi led the mass start silver medallist Edelmann and strong Norwegian skier Magnus Moan into the home stretch and then just hung on to win the 4x5-kilometres cross country relay for the title.

Kobayashi, Yusuke Minato, Taihei Kato and Akito Watabe clocked 48 minutes 32.3 seconds for their first title since a 1993 and 1995 double. Japan also won Olympic gold
1992 and 1994 at the time.

The Germans had the same time but lost the photo finish, while Norway trailed by 3.6 seconds for third place. Japan won from fourth place after the morning ski-jumping portion in which Germany had placed fifth and Norway sixth.

The jumping leaders France faded to fourth, Olympic champion Austria dropped from second to fifth and defending champions Finland, in the illness-related absence of World Cup leader Anssi Koivuranta, crashed from third to eighth overall.

The fancied United States did not compete in the relay as it met disaster in jumping when Bill Demong was disqualified ahead of his jump because he had no bib.

"Bill couldn't find his start number. I am really sad because our hope for a medal is over, said team member Johnny Spillane, a 2003 sprint event world champion.

The American team was highly fancied, led by two-time Liberec world champion Todd Lodwick. Demong won a bronze medal last weekend.

Demong reportedly had his bib under his suit, but that discovery came too late to avoid the embarrassment. He did not speak to reporters immediately, but later admitted that "it was my fault, I am an idiot" to German ZDF television.

"According to the rules it is not possible to start without a start number. Todd Lodwick wanted an exception for Bill Demong to jump later, but that was not possible. Everybody has his start time," said race director Ulrich Wehling of the ruling body FIS. (dpa)