World Champions Johnny Spillane, Billy Demong and Todd Lodwick are strong contenders for more Olympic medals
Steamboat Springs has a long history of sending athletes to the Olympics in the sport of Nordic Combined. Nordic athletes have been training at our historic ski area, Howelsen Hill since it opened in 1915. The ski area, Colorado’s oldest in continuous use, has an entire ski jumping complex and has hosted World Cup events, and is the home of long line of Nordic Combined skiers.
Nordic Combined has been an event at the Olympics every year since the Winter Games began in 1924. The sport originated in Norway and combines ski jumping and cross-country disciplines into one combined competition. This year there are three events in the Winter Games:
Johnny Spillane makes history by winning USA's first ever Olympic medal in Nordic Combined in the Individual Normal Hill AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati
Sunday, February 14 - Individual Normal Hill
This consists of one jump on the HS106 in the morning followed by a 10 kilometer-race in the afternoon. Johnny Spillane became the first US Olympic Medalist in this discipline winning the Silver Medal in a thrilling race that was decided in just the last 100 yards. Todd Lodwick and Bill Demong both finished in the top 6 highlighting that the US Team is probably the strongest present and a serious contender for the Team Event.
Tuesday, February 23 - The Team Event
Teams of four skiers will compete for the best combined finishes from both events. Each athlete gets one jump on the HS140 and then the four scores are combined into one. The cross-country race is a relay, each skier races 5 kilometers.
This medal event will be televised on NBC in primetime.
Thursday, February 25 - Individual Large Hill
Skiers are scored on one jump in the HS140 followed by a 10-kilometer cross-country race.
This medal event will be televised on NBC in primetime.
This year’s U.S. Nordic Combined Ski Team features 5 athletes, three of whom grew up here in Ski Town, U.S.A. and all five have trained with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
- Brett Camerota, Park City, UT
- Billy Demong, Vermontville, NY
- Taylor Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, CO
- Todd Lodwick, Steamboat Springs, CO
- Johnny Spillane, Steamboat Springs, CO
Todd Lodwick jumps at the 2009 US Olympic Trials in Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs is very proud of all their Nordic Combined athletes, past and present, native or part-time resident. Whenever a Nordic Combined competition is held in Steamboat, it seems like the entire town shows up.
This year’s Nordic Combined team has already made history may have a great chance for several medals. You can bet the entire town of Steamboat Springs will be watching the competition. We will even have a jumbo tron set up in Gondola Square across from the entrance to One Steamboat Place. If you are not going to be at the Olympics, Ski Town, U.S.A is the best place to be!
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