by Ron Farra
Published: January 2010
When the US Nordic Ski Team travels to Vancouver, Canada in February they will bring the potential, as never before in the history of the American winter sports, to earn Olympic medals in the disciplines that make up Nordic skiing. Not since 1976 when an American cross-country skier won a silver medal at the XII Winter Olympic Games have hopes been so high for America’s Nordic skiers. Cross-country skiers, ski jumpers, biathletes and Nordic combined athletes have earned an unprecedented number of medals in recent world competitions that podium finishes at the 2010 Winter Olympics are a real possibility. As a result of recent successes on the World Cup circuit America’s Nordic ski athletes are on the verge breaking the 33-year Nordic medal drought.
US Ski Team athletes won an incredible six medals at the Nordic World Ski Championships, in Liberec, Czech Republic last winter and will be competing against the same Nordic skiers this season in World Cup event as well as at the prestigious XXI Winter Olympic Games on February 12-28 in British Columbia, Canada. This dramatic accomplishment by “the upstart American skiers and ski jumpers sent shock waves throughout the world of Nordic skiing,” according to a New York Times article. “This is really big for us,” said John Farra (my son), US Ski Team Nordic Director. “To get a medal in cross-country ski racing… I’m not sure Americans know what that means.”
Nordic combined athletes Billy Demong (Athlete Profile, February 2002) of Vermontville and Todd Lodwick of Steamboat Springs, Colo. won four medals (three gold medals and one bronze) at the Nordic World Ski Championships. Bill also bested all competitors last season winning the gold medal in the opening race of the pre-Olympic World Cup event at the Vancouver, B.C. venue, with Todd finishing in tenth. Bill had another podium finish earning bronze at the pre-Olympic Games with teammates Johnny Spillane in 11th place and Todd in 12th.
The US Cross-Country Ski Team has also moved into a position where it too could have podium finishes at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Nordic ski racer, Kikkan Randall of Alaska finished second in the women’s sprint style ski race at the Nordic World Ski Championships last season, putting her in contention for a first ever Olympic medal by a female cross-country skier. Her silver medal win in the Czech Republic in March was the first cross-country ski medal for an American woman at world championship events. Kris Freeman of New Hampshire narrowly missed still another American victory in the Nordic World Ski Championships by a mere 1.3 seconds behind the bronze medal winner.
To put the excitement about America’s chances for a Nordic ski medal at the February Winter Olympics into perspective, consider that Norwegian Nordic skiers have “won more than 110 medals in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined competition including 41 gold,” according to the New York Times. In the 85-year history of Winter Olympic competition, Bill Koch of Vermont is the only American cross-country or Nordic combined skier ever to win a medal. Koch won an Olympic silver medal in Seefeld, Austria in 1976.
A recent World Cup win by an American biathlete has also boosted the chances of an Olympic medal by a USA Nordic skier at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Tim Burke of Paul Smiths made history in December when he won a silver medal at the World Cup Biathlon races in Ostersund, Sweden. Tim’s success in the grueling 20K biathlon competition tied the best ever World Cup finish by an American, equaling the second place finish by USA’s Josh Thompson at the 1992 World Cup event at Cranmore, Canada.
American ski jumper Lindsey Van of Park City, Utah won the woman’s ski jumping contest at the Nordic World Ski Championships, in the Czech Republic last year. Though her silver performance boosted the US Ski Team’s medal count to an unprecedented six medals, Lindsey will not be able to assist the team’s chances for a medal at the Olympic Games since woman’s ski jumping will not be part of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Hopes are also high that the US men’s ski jumpers can continue their recent improvements at World Cup and Continental Cup competition to earn a full quota of American jumpers for the 2010 Games. “While no one is counting on them taking medals at Whistler, B.C. folks should keep an eye on these guys,” said director John Farra. “If they jump to their potential at the Vancouver Olympics they could shock the Nordic world.”
Nordic ski fans in America are hungry for their Nordic heroes to continue their winning ways in world competition and especially at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games at Vancouver. “Our recent victories will increase the expectations,” said Olympian Billy Demong. “But it also gives us the confidence inside and helps us to know we’re doing to right things in our training.” Norwegian Olympian, Jens-Arne Svartedal noted “it is impressive to see the Americans doing so well, but we have known for many years that there is talent there.”
Fans may follow the daily and weekly happenings in the world of Nordic ski racing as well as the upcoming Winter Olympic Games at the websites of the US Ski Team (usskiteam.com) and Universal Sports (universalsports.com).
Ron Farra (rfarra@nycap.rr.com) lives in Saratoga Springs and enjoys snowshoeing, skiing, hiking, biking and kayaking. He is the co-author of Winter Trails New York: The Cross-Country Ski & Snowshoe Trails with his wife, Johanna.
