We all know how annoying it can be to take a wrong turn.

But for one Norwegian skier, going the wrong way wasn't just an inconvenience - it cost him an Olympic gold medal.

Jarl Magnus Riiber made a heartbreaking error in the Nordic combined large hill/10km this week, when he blew a 44-second lead by taking a wrong turn on the course, The Guardian reports.

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The 24-year-old recorded the longest and highest-scoring ski jump earlier in the day, meaning he set off on the cross-country section of the event a full 44 seconds before his competitors.

But Riiber's victory was short-lived when he went the wrong way and had to double back on himself. By the time he had gotten back on track, his lead was essentially wiped out, and he finished in eighth place.

[[imagecaption|| Jarl Magnus Riiber turns back on the running track after taking the wrong track. Credit: dpa picture alliance / Alamy]]

Speaking after the event, Riiber blamed his mistake on having to spend two weeks in isolation after he arrived in Beijing, which meant he was unable to practice or familiarise himself with the course.

"It’s a silly mistake," he said, adding: "It's not fun to show the world that I maybe wasted a gold medal. I had been locked inside for two weeks, not breathing fresh air. My body is not working. Normally, I’m one of the better skiers and today I was just bad."

As well as being stuck inside and unable to learn the course, it's also possible that the extreme cold got to Riiber's head and played a part in his misfortune.

[[imagecaption|| Joergen Graabak, Jens Luraas Oftebro, and bronze medalist Watabe Akito of Japan. Credit: Xinhua / Alamy]]

Despite organizers bringing the race forward 30 minutes to try and avoid the plunging temperature, conditions still dipped below -20C - the point at which cross-country races are usually postponed.

While it was a sad day for Riiber, Norway still had much to celebrate. They dominated the event, with Joergen Graabak and Jens Lurås Oftebro securing a double podium finish for the Scandinavian country by finishing in first and second place respectively.

Featured Image Credit: dpa picture alliance / Alamy

Heartbreak as Olympic skier blows 44-second lead by accidentally going the wrong way during race