WinterSports2002.com - U.S. nordic jumpers still in running

WinterSports2002.com, Saturday, February 09, 2002

U.S. nordic jumpers still in running

By Jason Swensen
Deseret News staff writer

UTAH OLYMPIC PARK — American Todd Lodwick finished seventh Saturday in the jumping segment of the nordic combined individual competition. Now he'll have to pass several elite skiers during Sunday's 15-kilometer cross country race to claim an Olympic medal. But the Colorado native suggests he's been handed some "hometown" karma.

"Seventh place — (John) Elway's number — you can't go wrong with that," Lodwick said.

Lodwick and teammate Bill Demong secured seventh and eighth place, respectively, after landing solid jumps Saturday on the 90-meter hill at Utah Olympic Park. Their performances kept them in contention for Team USA's first-ever Olympic medal in nordic combined — but just barely. Speedy skis and maybe a measure of luck may be needed to visit the winners' podium Sunday.

"It's like being down a couple touchdowns going into the fourth quarter . . . but anything's possible," said Lodwick.

Finland's Jaakko Tallus was Saturday's top jumper, landing leaps of 100.5 and 95.5 meters. Because of his superior jumps, Tallus will start Sunday's cross country race with a 48-second head start over his nearest rival, Mario Stecher of Austria. Lodwick and Demong will begin 2:15 and 2:20 behind Tallus, respectively.

While Tallus may be the class jumper of the nordic combined field, he is not counted among the elite cross country racers. Finland's Samppa Lajunen and Ronny Ackermann of Germany — who finished third and fifth Saturday — will likely prove to be the Americans' most troublesome competitors Sunday. Defending World Cup champ Felix Gottwald of Austria just missed jumping into the top 10 and will start Sunday's race 2:43 behind Tallus, but he's a powerful skier who could still play a role in the outcome of the cross country race.

Sunshine blanketed the 90-meter jump hill at Utah Olympic Park just a day after 50 mph-plus winds prompted the postponement of ski jumping's K90 qualification event. Erratic winds Saturday seemed to aid some jumpers and hinder others, "I was a little unlucky with the air on the first round, but I'm happy with my second jump," said Lodwick, who recorded 91.5 and 92.5 meter jumps in front of nearly 17,000 spectators.

The oxygen-thin altitude at Soldier Hollow should benefit Lodwick and Demong, who have spent plenty of time training at the Wasatch County facility. Despite Team USA's limited Olympic history in nordic combined, Lodwick says he and his teammates remain confident.

"We wanted to come out and kick some (butt,)" he said. "That's how it should be."

E-MAIL: jswensen@desnews.com