In their first collective visit to Park City, Utah, several members of the Norwegian nordic combined team couldn’t get over the place. There was never a cloud in the sky, and even unseasonably cold days weren’t that bad. People were nice, the motorists were considerate, and the training possibilities were endless. Following a three-week camp with the U.S. nordic combined squad last month, Norwegian A-team member Mikko Kokslien wasn’t the only one considering buying a...
When Friday didn’t go according to plan for all of the Americans on the Nordic Combined World Cup, they were happy to have Saturday to shoot for better results. When the team sprint went better on the second day of competition in Val di Fiemme, Italy, with the two U.S. teams cracking the top 10, the four members were even more excited for Sunday. If trial and error told them anything, they figured they’d have...
With 44 competitors in front of him and six behind at the start of Saturday’s nordic combined 10 k, Taylor Fletcher knew he had his work cut out for him. Starting 2 minutes and 14 seconds behind the leader, Germany’s Tino Edelmann, the 21-year-old Fletcher took on the massive task of catching up after his provisional jump from Friday put him in 45th. Fletcher covered the difficult course, with about 4 inches of fresh snow...
Don’t call the Americans ungrateful. They were happy to be on snow in Kuusamo, Finland, competing for the first time, jumping when they could. But they’re happy to be moving on to Lillehammer, Norway, for the second weekend of the nordic-combined World Cup. The first one was challenging enough. After U.S. veteran Johnny Spillane was eliminated from the competition before it started, missing out a qualifying jump on Friday, the team suffered another blow Saturday...
For the last week, they had been waiting to jump. Really, about 60 nordic-combined athletes from around the world waited all summer for the season to kick off in Kuusamo, Finland. Once there, it seemed the only things holding the athletes back were the weather and the ominous large hill itself. Billy Demong remembered telling someone in an email: “Sometimes survival is success in Kuusamo.” The U.S. nordic combined veteran meant that literally. He was...
If the U.S. Nordic Combined Team got together for Thanksgiving, there might be less football watching and more talk about the kids. That’s the way life is for almost half of the seven-man squad, with each of the “Big Three” aged 30 or older and with at least one child. “It’s a different dynamic than it has been in the past,” said head coach Dave Jarrett, who has two kids of his own. “But it’s...
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)
The US Nordic Combined team travels around the world with the usual gear: skis, boots, poles, race suits, iPod. …And a sewing machine.
While the Americans posted some of the best cross-country legs – in fact, the fastest time of the day belonged to Bill Demong who ended up in seventh place and was the top American – the jumping left room for improvement across the board.
With crew consisting of some real veterans, some seasoned racers and a rookie, the US Nordic Combined Team is ready and excited for the normal hill competition at the 2011 World Championships Saturday. On a good day, it could go all the way to the podium.
Capping the World Cup weekend in Chaux Neuve (FRA) with all four team members in the top 30 is a good indication for being on track for the 2011 Worlds in Oslo. Now it’s all about polishing the details.
Taylor Fletcher was the top American in the Nordic Combined World Cup event in Seefeld (AUT) Sunday, posting a 29th place.
Todd Lodwick posted a 23rd overall after jumping to 17th, while Bryan Fletcher was the second American in 28th place in the World Cup individual competition. Fletcher was 14th after the jumping in Seefeld (AUT) Saturday.
The US Ski Team posted a solid seventh place in Seefeld (AUT) Friday, and head coach Dave Jarrett was satisfied with the overall as well as individual performance, knowing that the team can build on the experience.
With Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane joining the US Nordic Combined team in Europe, the crew will split into two groups for the upcoming race weekend. One group will head to the World Cup in Seefeld (AUT) while the others aim for the COC races in Klingenthal (GER).
Bryan Fletcher posted the top American result at the World Cup in Schonach (GER), finishing in 31st place after an unfortunate turn of events on the cross-country course.
Bryan Fletcher, who left Europe before Christmas with a career-best eighth place at the World Cup events in Ramsau (AUT), has spent the holidays polishing the details and preparing for the next events.
Only a tenth of a second separated Todd Lodwick from third place in the Nordic Combined in Ramsau, Austria.
Only margins out of second place, US Ski Team’s Taylor Fletcher hauled into third place Sunday, climbing out of 28th to secure an extra World Cup spot for the United States.
Bill Demong, who has struggled on the World Cup so far this season, took a decent step up the result list in Saturday’s COC race in Park City/Soldier Hollow.