Green grass, plastic jumping surfaces, big jumps, sunshine, rollerskis and no snow means one thing. It’s August in Europe and it’s time for the International Ski Federation (FIS) Nordic Combined Summer Grand Prix 2017. Last weekend Aug. 19-20, Oberwiesenthal, Germany hosted a two-day Grand Prix event. Day 1 featured a two-person team event with the requisite jump and 2 x 7.5-kilometer cross-country race to determine the winners. Czech Republic’s first team (Czech Republic I), comprised of...
Shaking out white, sand-filled training shorts is hardly a thing many skiers find themselves doing prior to an autumn morning interval session. Nor is swimming with sea turtles a typical regular-recovery run substitute. However, this past October, U.S. Nordic Combined A-team member Taylor Fletcher did a little of both. The 26 year old’s ‘spring break’ came six or seven months early, or seven months late, depending how one looks at it, with his final days...
In order to legally compete in any event sanctioned by the International Ski Federation, there are 47 pages worth of rules regarding equipment that athletes must comply with. Within these pages, collectively of the Specifications for Competition Equipment and Commercial Markings, certain equipment is forbidden (like collapsing poles) and a ski’s minimum weight is limited (to 750 grams per pair for cross-country). Four whole pages of that document are dedicated to the fabric and construction...
Johnny Spillane, three-time Olympic silver medalist in Nordic Combined, returned to competition last week at the FIS Summer Grand Prix. After a long knee injury recovery and subsequently difficult World Cup season left the 31-year-old’s plans for the future up in the air, his participation marked an important decision to continue skiing. The question remains, however: how long will he be back for? When an odd cliff jump landing put Spillane out for four months...
Bill Demong and Bryan Fletcher led their Nordic Combined teammates to a “reassuring” start of competition this weekend at the FIS Summer Grand Prix in Saturday’s Complete Results (Gundersen start)
OBERTSDORF, Germany (Aug. 8) – A pair of brothers represented the U.S. Nordic Combined Team on Sunday in the final Grand Prix staged in Obertsdorf. Brett Camerota (Park City, UT) slid inside the top-10 for the first time, finishing first for the U.S., while Germany’s Johannes Rydzek won the competition. The nordic combined competition was tight, with the top nine men separated by 20 seconds as they pushed across the finish line in the cross...
The Nordic Combined season 2010/2011 is officially beginning with the FIS Summer Grand Prix that is scheduled for 7th-8th August in Oberstdorf (GER) and Oberwiesenthal (GER) on the following week-end, 13th-14th August. The FIS Newsflash caught up with Uli Wehling, FIS Race Director Nordic Combined, ahead of the competitions. Q. Uli Wehling, what are your thoughts about the summer season, which starts at the upcoming weekend? A. Nordic Combined has a long-standing tradition of summer...