OLYMPICS, NORDIC COMBINED. The nordic combined competitions at the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver end with a double victory of the USA with Bill Demong and Johnny Spillane. Bernhard Gruber (AUT) was third. .

Splendid victory for the USA

That the Americans have a strong team was obvious. That they will be the best in the medal table for nordic combined (1 Gold, 3 Silver) was not clear. Johnny Spillane was second three times, after the World Championship in Liberec 2009 Bill Demong now also won Gold in the large hill/10 km competition. "That's unbelievable, it has to sink in", the winner said later. "Johnny and I worked together as a team - at least he will believe me when I say: it didn't matter which one of us gets the Gold. We only wanted to have two guys on the podium..." The third atlete from the USA, Todd Lodwick, played his role in the race with controlling the speed of the second group. When he reached from which you can overlook the stadium, he paused to watch and enjoy the historic moment: First Olympic Gold medal for his country in the history of nordic combined.

Also Bernhard Gruber was extremely happy. "If somebody would have told me that I will win two medals in Canada I would have answered: that's not possible. Jumping was difficult but I made the best out of it." Gruber started the race as first, 34 seconds ahead of Spillane, 40 ahead of Ryynaenen, 46 ahead of Demong. He is now only the third Austrian, after Klaus Sulzenbacher (1988) and Felix Gottwald (2002, 2006) who could win a medal in an individual nordic combined competition at Olympics.

Jury criticized

The jumping portion in the a.m. took place under very difficult conditions. Changing winds, more or less snowfall and rain lead to a restart. The conditions barely changed, but still all competitors had to jump. The conditions were bad especially for the last athletes and so they were only 41st (Eric Frenzel), 40th (Felix Gottwald), 35th (Tino Edelmann), 29th (Jason Lamy Chappuis), 28th (Magnus Moan).

"In training I was always in the Top 4, and now I#m 29th. It was impossible to win a medal for me", said World Cup leader Chappuis. "Even if all the medalists deserve their place on the podium - it was not fair today", told Gottwald, and Moan added: "I'm very, very, very angry. I think that the jury destroyed the competition today." Depends on the point of view. Johnny Spillane said: "The conditions were difficult out there, and maybe there was a disadvantage for the best jumpers. But most of the time it's the other way around and they have better conditions. And, hey, it's an outdoor sport."

FISnordiccombined.com
26.02.2010 02:17