U.S. Wants Place on Podium

The U.S. Nordic combined team’s 0-for-23 medal streak could end today. The fans can feel it, the Americans expect it, and even the mighty Europeans must sense it.

Proving they’re no longer just Todd Lodwick and a bunch of other guys, the U.S. team soared into third place after the first half of the team competition Saturday.

“We’re feeling like we’ve got a real good chance to do something special tomorrow,” said Lodwick, whose first jump sent a strong message on the 90-meter hill at Olympic Park.

“I’ll be surprised if we’re not sliding for a medal tomorrow.”

The Americans will start today’s 20-kilometer cross-country relay at Soldier Hollow 1 minute 34 seconds behind Finland, by far the best jumping team at these Olympics. Austria is second, 44 seconds back.

Although the United States has no medals in 23 Nordic combined events at 19 Olympics, Lodwick virtually predicted one in the team competition after he took seventh in last week’s individual race. It was the best showing by an American in the sport. Seventh also is the best U.S. team finish, in 1994.

Lodwick was on that team, as well as the 1998 team that struggled to 10th. But he has never had as much help as this year. Teammate Bill Demong, who fell in Nagano, had the team’s best jump on Saturday, landing 94.5 meters down the hill and scoring 126 points on his final attempt.

“The guys have put so much pressure on themselves,” U.S. Coach Tom Steitz said. “We’re our own worst enemy, but today every one of them is going to go home and feel good about themselves.”

Lodwick’s first jump, scored at 119.5 points by distance and style, gave the Americans the early lead, but they fell to fourth after a weak jump by Matt Dayton, who’s a much better skier than jumper. He scored 97.5 before improving by six points on his second try.

“I was a little bit off at the takeoff, and I let one of my skis drop down a little bit,” Dayton said. Johnny Spillane, another U.S. member, did his part by not making any mistakes. Flag-waving Americans in the crowd anticipated a big finish from Demong, and he delivered with a perfect takeoff and landing that helped the U.S. team leapfrog past Japan and Germany into third.

“We all really decided to let the crowd help us, to enjoy it, to bask in it,” Demong said. “It really worked for us. I knew it was going to be a different jump, and I felt like I tagged into one.”

The Americans are counting on their skiing proficiency to make up the deficit today, and Dayton could be the key. He had only the 33rd-best jump in the individual competition but moved all the way up to 18th in the next day’s 15K race.