NORDIC COMBINED

INDIVIDUAL

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 11.

* Best of the U.S.: The United States is looking for its first medal in this discipline, which pairs ski jumping and cross-country racing. Four-time Olympian Todd Lodwick of Colorado is the most competitive American. He placed fifth in the sprint and earned the highest U.S. showing in Nordic combined in the 2002 Winter Games, seventh.

* Best of the rest: Finland’s Hannu Manninen is considered almost unbeatable, having recently scored his eighth World Cup victory this season. Germany’s Ronny Ackermann, the 2005 world sprint and individual champion, is looking for his first Olympic gold.

* U.S. chances to medal: Slim.

* Little-known fact: Finland’s Samppa Lajunen won three Olympic gold medals -- individual, sprint, team -- awarded in the Nordic combined in Salt Lake City in 2002. Finland had not won Olympic gold in this event since 1948.

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TEAM

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 15.

* Best of the U.S.: Lodwick, Johnny Spillane, Bill Demong and Carl Van Loan are solid but not quite there yet. The Americans finished fifth in the 2005 World Cup competition.

* Best of the rest: Finland set the gold standard in 2002, but Germany, Austria and Norway are favored to be on the podium at Turin.

* U.S. chances to medal: Of the three Nordic events, the U.S., which finished fourth in Salt Lake City in 2002, has the best shot here.

* Little-known fact: Although women have been allowed to compete in the Nordic combined event, there have been no female competitors in Olympic history.

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MEN’S SPRINT

* Where: Pragelato.

* When: Feb. 21.

* Best of the U.S.: Lodwick placed fifth in the sprint and earned the highest U.S. showing in Nordic combined in the 2002 Winter Games. Colorado’s Spillane won the 2003 world sprint title.

* Best of the rest: Manninen stands on top of the world, having won the 2004 and 2005 World Cup titles. He made his Olympic debut at 15, in the 1994 Games at Lillehammer.

* U.S. chances to medal: Don’t bet on it.

* Little-known fact: Nordic combined was one of 13 inaugural events at the first Winter Olympics in France in 1924. Norwegians won gold-silver-bronze, followed by another Norwegian and a Swede. No Americans placed. The drought continues.

-- George Diaz