OBERHOF, Germany (Jan. 3) – Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) blew away the cross country field Sunday, finishing over 30 seconds ahead of the pack to take the first World Cup win of his career in Oberhof. “I’m really excited. It was good jumping and good racing. I know when I can put the two together I can do well,” Spillane said. “I just went for it today and fortunately it felt good and it...
OBERHOF, Germany (Jan. 2) – Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) narrowly missed out on his sixth career World Cup podium Saturday in Oberhof, Germany, falling from second to fourth with 200 meters to go after he led at 8.6K and was on the heels of the eventual winner Hannu Manninen of Finland. “For sure I’m kinda getting ticked at getting fourth, but it was another good event,” Spillane said. “I came into this year without...
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (Dec. 23) – He said it could have been anyone’s day. But Wednesday belonged to hometown hero Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) who, in front of family, friends and fans, solidified a nomination to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team for nordic combined at Olympic Trials in Steamboat. Less than a mile from where he grew up, Spillane entered the cross country round at the grounds of Howelsen Hill sitting third behind fellow...
RAMSAU, Austria (Dec. 20) – The U.S. Ski Team’s Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) fell just short of the podium in fifth Sunday as a veritable freight train of nordic combined skiers battled right down to the wire in Ramsau. Despite France’s Jason Lamy Chappuis leading after the jump, the Frenchman couldn’t hold on for the three-event weekend sweep as Germany’s Bjorn Kircheisen took the win. Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO), who was fourth Saturday,...
Ramsau, Austria – The US Nordic Combined team had a stellar day, placing three skiers in the top-10 and four in the top-20. The team was led by Johnny Spillane, who continues an excellent start to the season. Spillane finished 4th, battling for the top spot until the end. Teammate Todd Lodwick was just behind in 6th, Billy Demong was 9th, and Brett Camerota was a career-best 18th. Jason Lamy-Chappuis (FRA) won in exciting fashion,...
Yet another big weekend of racing is already underway, with a Nordic Combined World Cup this morning. In addition to two more NoCo races, you can take your pick of World Cup XC, World Cup Biathlon, NorAm sprints, and US Biathlon World Team Trials. Add to that a bevy of regional events and if it was on cable, your weekend would be set. Just a quick overview this week… World Cup Cross-Country The cross-country World...
Today the U.S. Nordic Combined World Cup Team – Billy Demong, Todd Lodwick, and Johnny Spillane – gave a teleconference from Ramsau, Austria, where they are preparing for this weekend’s World Cup events. They gave insights about the upcoming Olympic trials in Steamboat Springs, their World Cup schedule this season, how they’ve come back from summer injuries, what they are doing to prepare for the Olympic Games, and their excitement for the team’s strength as...
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (Dec. 16) – A week from now, U.S freestyle and nordic combined athletes will have their opportunity to grab a one-chance ticket to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games when the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) host the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Steamboat Springs, Dec. 23-24. Five spots from moguls, aerials and nordic combined are on the line during two days of competition in Steamboat-Ski...
SOLDIER HOLLOW, UT (Dec. 13) – World Champion Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) swept his way through a blizzard to take his second straight win an International Ski Federation Nordic Combined Continental Cup at Soldier Hollow Sunday. Austrian Tomaz Druml was second and Germany’s Steffen Tepel third, matching the podium ranking from the opening event on Saturday. Lodwick took the lead in the jump Saturday at the Utah Olympic Park. With snow moving in, officials...
Kirk Nichols submitted the following video from the Continental Cup Nordic Combined competition. SOLDIER HOLLOW, UT (Dec. 12) – World Champion Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) took the lead on the jump at the Utah Olympic Park Saturday morning and later blazed through heavy snow to win an International Ski Federation Nordic Combined Continental Cup handily against an international field on the Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow. Austrian Tomaz Druml was second and Germany’s Steffen...
LILLEHAMMER, Norway – It was a great end to a weekend of competing for Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) who went two-for-two leading the U.S., breaking a tie for fourth by winning a photo finish Sunday as the nordic combined World Cup wrapped up in Lillehammer. It was Spillane’s best result since finishing second in Kuusamo in 2007. “It was great to have a good weekend,” Spillane said. “I felt like I skied a pretty good race, I...
Lillehammer, Norway – Two knee operations over the summer haven’t stopped Johnny Spillane, as the 29-year-old skied his way to a sixth place finish in the World Cup nordic combined race in Lillehammer earlier this morning. Billy Demong, also hampered by injuries this year, followed Spillane in 14th, just under a minute behind the winner, France’s Jeremy Lamy Chappuis, and Bryan Fletcher and Brett Camerota finished 41st and 56th, respectively, closing out the U.S. Nordic...
With the dawning of December comes the flood of races that characterizes the winter season. The US SuperTour moves a bit north to Bozeman, Montana, the World Cup heads to Germany for a weekend of high speed sprints, World Cup Biathlon continues in Sweden, and the US Nordic Combined team makes its 2010 World Cup debut. Women’s Ski Jumping gets underway midweek next week in Finland. SuperTour Last season the Bozeman SuperTour (and the Park...
Onasvaara Ski Club, one of the oldest ski clubs in world holds first international nordic combined race of the 2009-10 season. They have athletes from 8 nations contesting the race. Including Austrian A & B , Czech, Swiss, Estonia, and Finland’s National Teams. Also Athletes from Russia, Canada, and Japan. Of note is the strong field including: Anssi Koivuranta, 2008-9 Nordic Combined Overall World Cup Champion. Then the comeback stories of Felix Gottwald, 2006...
“On 24 October, people in 181 countries came together for the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history. At over 5200 events around the world, people gathered to call for strong action and bold leadership on the climate crisis” (www.steinbockracing.com. More information on 350.org, including thousands of pictures from events around the world, can be found at
World Championship gold medalist Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) has undoubtedly left his mark on the world of nordic combined skiing. But, on the brink of an Olympic season, he is looking to make an even bigger splash. Any fun summer adventures? My fun getaway is bike racing and I definitely did a few of those, not as many as I did last year but if I focus my training in other directions for periods I...
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (October 12, 2009) – U.S freestyle and nordic combined athletes will get a one shot, winner-takes-all chance at making the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team as the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) and U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) host the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Steamboat Springs Dec. 23-24. A total of five U.S. Olympic Team spots in moguls, aerials and nordic combined will be up for grabs on those two days...
PARK CITY, UT – (Oct. 13) U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team athlete Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) will be doing his part to help others, participating in the Walk for Hope on Oct. 17 in Park City, UT. Fletcher teamed up with Candlelighters, an organization that helps families and children with cancer, to put on the event, which will hopefully raise $30, 000. “Our goal is trying to raise $30,000 for the program,” says Fletcher.”This...
US Nordic Combined National Championships video by the US Ski Team’s Torin Koos.
LAKE PLACID, NY (Oct. 10) – World Champion Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) made it an even 20 titles as he won the U.S. Nordic Combined Championships Saturday during Lake Placid’s annual Flaming Leaves Festival. For Lodwick, who had previously said having 20 U.S. titles would be great, the win on Saturday meant more than he thought it would. “This ranks up there with one of the more memorable national titles. I think I’m almost...