2010 Nordic Combined Skier of the Year is…Combined…

Nordic Combined Skier of the Year

In a year in which the US Nordic Combined Team won five Olympic medals, including gold, and when racing a full squad on the World Cup, was a realistic threat to sweep the podium, how do you pick one athlete.

Billy Demong won gold and silver at the Olympics, becoming the first US Nordic athlete to bring home a Championship gold.

Johnny Spillane left the Games with three silver medals, while Todd Lodwick finally got his Olympic medal.

While the athletes were focused on the Olympics, they still were impressive on the World Cup. Lodwick placed in the top-6 in in six of eight starts, including two podiums.

Demong got off to a slow start (by his standards), but still was in the top-14 in all 12 of his World Cup appearances. He won one race and was in the top-10 eight times.

Spillane also won a World Cup race, and while he never made it back on the podium, he did place 4^th four times.

In the overall World Cup rankings, Spillane finished 9th, Demong 12th, and Lodwick 15th.

Finally, there is Brett Camerota, whose clutch performance in the opening leg of the Olympic Team competition helped set up the silver medal.

So who was the best?

There is no question that theses skiers are very much part of a team. They frequently worked together in races to create top finishes for different individuals, and the top-3 have been through all the ups and downs of the last decade together.

Ultimately this was a historic year for the entire sport in the US due to the performances of each of these athletes.

The 2010 FasterSkier Nordic Combined Skier of the Year is presented to the entire US Nordic Combined Team.