U.S. selects Nordic combined, jumping teams

The United States selected seven previous Olympians in Nordic combined and jumping to the American contingent for the Torino Games.

Todd Lodwick, a six-time World Cup champion considered the Americans' top medal prospect, highlighted the list Monday of 11 representatives in the two sports. The 29-year-old Lodwick, from Steamboat Springs, Colo., heads into his fourth Olympics — only the second Nordic combined skier in U.S. history to make four Olympic teams. Mike Devecka did it from 1968-80.

Lodwick is one of four members of the U.S. Nordic combined and jumping teams from Steamboat Springs, along with Nordic combined teammate Johnny Spillane and jumpers Clint Jones and Tommy Schwall. Those three are all going to their second Olympics.

"I am the old man. It's a good group," Lodwick joked after a fall training session.

Spillane is nursing a separated right shoulder that will require surgery after the Olympics, and he will compete through the pain.

"I am going to ski with the injury for the winter and then have a complete reconstructive surgery in the spring," he said in a recent e-mail.

Anders Johnson became the youngest U.S. Olympic Nordic skier in history when he was selected to the team. The son of former U.S. Jumping program director Alan Johnson, he will be 16 years, seven months old during the Olympics. The youngest skier in any discipline was alpine competitor Andrea Mead Lawrence, who was 15 years, nine months old during the 1948 Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Twins Brett and Eric Camerota, 21, had long dreamt of qualifying for an Olympics together, and they got their wish. Both 5-foot-6, they moved to Park City, Utah, when they were six and began jumping and skiing together.

"We know how we both train and we just work together to get the workouts done right," said Eric Camerota, who is five minutes older. "We push each other."

Nordic combined athlete Bill Demong may appreciate this opportunity as much as anyone.

Demong fractured his skull three years ago when goofing off in a swimming pool after a competition in Germany — only eight months after he was airlifted off a jump in Slovakia following a face-first crash into the hill during training before an event.