LAKE PLACID, N.Y. (Oct. 8, 2017) – The nation’s best ski jumping and nordic combined athletes battled it out for the title of national champion at the L.L.Bean U.S. Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Championships on Sunday at the Olympic Jumping Complex in Lake Placid, New York. Local athlete Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, N.Y.) took home both the women’s normal hill ski jumping and nordic combined titles, with Michael Glasder (Cary, Ill.) and Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) landing the men’s ski jumping and nordic combined titles respectively.

Lussi, who took home the large hill title in July at the Utah Olympic Park, shared the podium with teammates Nita Englund (Florence, Wis.) and Abby Ringquist (Park City, Utah) in the normal hill competition. 2014 Olympian and World Champion Sarah Hendrickson was fifth.

 

How was the weekend? Two thumbs up!! 2 x National Champion 
Disclaimer: rollerskiing is harder than it looks #USAnordic #sundaynotsofunday #doingthings

A post shared by Nina M. Lussi (@ninalussi) on

Oct 8, 2017 at 8:13pm

“Winning National Championships in Lake Placid was something truly special,” said Lussi. “Since I know this hill so well, it was a challenge knowing I was jumping from a lower start position than ever before [with less speed] and being able to put it all together on that specific day was great! As soon as I stopped in the outrun I could hear basically my entire family celebrating my jump from the observation deck, and that part was a moment I will never forget.”

Lussi will also go down in history as the first ever U.S. women’s nordic combined champion. Her performance earned her an invite to compete at the continental cup level this winter.

“The nordic combined race pushed me not only physically, but also mentally,” continued Lussi. “We’re lacking depth in women’s nordic combined, so I hope my race proved to the next generation that with grit and determination, a lot is possible. This competition and the expansion of FIS level events should hopefully incentivize women to keep competing in nordic combined.”


Men's Ski Jumping Podium: 1st - Michael Glasder (center); 2nd - Kevin Bickner (left); 3rd - Bryan Fletcher (right).  (Lake Placid Events)

Sunday’s win was the second normal hill national title for Glasder, who also won the competition in 2015. USA Nordic teammates Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) and Fletcher joined him on the podium in second and third. Fletcher also claimed his third nordic combined national title followed by Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, Wis.) in second and Jasper Good (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) in third.

Men's Nordic Combined Podium: 1st- Bryan Fletcher (center); 2nd - Ben Loomis (left); 3rd - Jasper Good (left).  (Lake Placid Events)

PARK CITY, UTAH (July 28, 2017) - Will Rhoads (Park City, Utah/Park City Nordic) and Nita Englund (Florence, Wis./Kiwanis Ski Club) came away with gold at the 2018 U.S. Ski Jumping Championships Saturday on the HS134 meter hill at the Utah Olympic Park in one of the most hotly contested Championships in recent history. It was the fourth career title for Rhoads—including his third straight large hill title—and the second title for Englund.

Junior Casey Larson (Barrington, Ill./Norge Ski Club) took silver and Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill./Norge Ski Club) bronze for the men in U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s first national championship of the Olympic season. In the women's competition, Abby Ringquist (Park City, Utah/Women’s Ski Jumping USA) claimed silver with Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, N.Y./New York Ski Education Foundation) taking bronze. The Championship wrapped up the weeklong Springer Tournee which attracted 200 young ski jumpers from across America.

Englund took the U.S. Championship lead on her first jump, soaring 111.5 meters to take a slim six-tenths of a point lead over Ringquist, Tara Geraghty-Moats (W. Fairlee, Vt./Women’s Ski Jumping USA) and Lussi, who won the opening non-Championship event on Friday. Olympian Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, Utah/Women’s Ski Jumping USA) was fifth, leaving four women within just two points going into the final round.

Nita Englund soars to a second career gold in the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships. (Tom Kelly)

“It was super fun,” said Englund. “I didn’t know how close everyone was. I knew it was going to be close so on the second jump I had to be extra focused.”

On the second jump, it all came down to style as Geraghty-Moats went 115.0 meters with Hendrickson, Lussi and Ringquist each putting it down to 115.5 meters. It all came down to Englund, who blasted into the wind, hanging on to every meter, as she pushed down to the 123.5 meter mark for the longest ride of the day and the gold medal.

Canadian Taylor Enrich won the overall completion but was not eligible for a U.S. Championships medal.

The men’s competition was similar with Rhoads having to hold off a hard-charging Larson on the final jump as late morning winds wreaked havoc in the second half of the men’s final round.

In the opening round, American record holder Bickner set the pace with an impressive 130.5 meter ride. Rhoads matched that, pushing it a meter further for 131.5 and a narrow two point lead. Larson was third on a strong 125.0 meter jump.

In the final round, winds came up and forced delay after delay. The final seven jumpers were significantly challenged as officials sought in vain to hold for clean air. Mike Glasder (Cary, Ill./Norge Ski Club) took advantage of good air to move into contention with the long ride of the day at 135.5 meters. He would hang on to finish fourth in the U.S. Championships. Larson, who was eighth in the Junior World Championships on the neighboring normal hill jump, flew an impressive 131.5 meters to move into the lead. Bickner struggled a bit on his jump, going 118.0 meters, dropping just behind Larson.

With the title on the line and winds swirling, Rhoads kept his focus and soared 123.5 to take gold with 258.0 points—a 4.8 margin over Larson.

“It was a dicey comp with the wind and it took a while to get that final round in,” said Rhoads. “The results were a little funky. It happens in an outdoor sport when the winds change and you just adjust. You have to be ready all the time.”

While the summer atmosphere tends to be fun and relaxing, there was a tension in the air as the U.S. Championships kicked off the Olympic season. Both the men’s and women’s field included every Olympic contender with all of them focused on sizing up the competition and looking ahead to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials to be held at the Utah Olympic Park Dec. 30-31.

“Anyone who was on the team in 2014 has retired, so we’ll have an entirely new team of guys who have not competed in the Olympics,” said Rhoads. “Everyone is excited to put their best foot forward. We’re especially excited for the Olympic Trials right here at the Utah Olympic Park which will be shown on NBC. It will be high stakes, high energy—everyone will be on their game!”

Englund, and most of the top women, came back from her training base in Slovenia to start off the Olympic season.

“It was important for me to just be relaxed and get ready for the coming Olympic season,” she said. “I wanted to have fun this summer, enjoy it and be relaxed. This summer I’ll just hone in on my competitiveness and get that solid base. Going into the winter, I’ll just see where it takes me.”

In the Olympic test event at Alpensia, South Korea last winter, Englund was the top American in both events on the HS109 meter hill with a pair of top 10s. 

“The hill in PyeongChang is cool for me,” she said, smiling. “Wind will be a really big factor but the wind nets will help. The hill jumps a lot like the 90 meter in Planica where we train a lot.”

Both the men and women will now head to Continental Cup and Grand Prix summer competitions in Europe in August and September, returning to Lake Placid, N.Y. in early October for the normal hill U.S. Championship. The World Cup season opens in November for men and December for women, with the Olympic Team Trials set for the Utah Olympic Park Dec. 30-31.

Gold medalist Will Rhoads slaps a high five on the flower presenter flanked by silver medalist Casey Larson (left) and bronze Kevin Bickner (right). (Sarah Brunson)

Women's medalists including silver Abby Ringquist, gold Nita Englund and bronze Nina Lussi. (Sarah Brunson)

2018 U.S. SKI JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Men
Gold - Will Rhoads (Park City, Utah/Park City Nordic)
Silver - Casey Larson (Cary, Ill./Norge Ski Club)
Bronze - Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill./Norge Ski Club)

Women
Gold - Nita Englund (Florence, Wis./Women’s Ski Jumping USA)
Silver - Abby Ringquist (Park City, Utah/Women’s Ski Jumping USA)
Bronze - Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, N.Y./New York Ski Education Foundation)

Results
U.S. Large Hill Ski Jumping Championships, Park City, Utah

PARK CITY, Utah (July 29, 2017) – Utah's 2002 Olympic venues will play a key role in determining the first skiing athletes nominated to the 2018 U.S. Olympic Team to compete in PyeongChang. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Ski Jumping & Nordic Combined will be held Dec. 30-31 at the Utah Olympic Park in a winner-take-all event where the victors will be named to Team USA.

The announcement was made during U.S. Ski & Snowboard's U.S. Ski Jumping Championships at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City showcasing the top men's and women's ski jumpers in America.

"The Utah Olympic Park will be a great setting for the 2018 Olympic Trials and continue to build Utah's Olympic legacy and the State of Sport," said Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert. "The Olympics continue to serve athletes here in Utah as well as growing economic impact and media exposure for the state."

The Olympic Trials will feature nordic combined on Saturday, Dec. 30 followed by ski jumping for men and women on Sunday, Dec. 31. NBC will carry the event nationally including live coverage of Sunday's ski jumping. The winner of each event will receive a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team. The remainder of the ski and snowboard teams will be named later in January.


2014 Olympian Sarah Hendrickson is expected to return and compete for a spot on the second-ever women's U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping Team. (Getty Images)

The Park City-based U.S. Ski & Snowboard is producing the event in concert with the United States Olympic Committee and the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation with support from the Utah Sports Commission and Park City Chamber and Visitors Bureau.

Olympic veterans Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) and brother Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) are expected to be among the leaders in nordic combined. The event will feature a single jump on the Utah Olympic Park's HS100-meter hill followed by a 10k cross country race on trails at the base of the jump, engineered to keep the event compact for spectators and television.

Ski jumping will see a battle for the top spot from a host of rising stars in the sport, each looking for their first Olympic berth. Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) is coming off the best season by a U.S. jumper in over a decade, including the setting of a new American distance record.

For the second time in history, women will be seeking to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping Team. The 2013 world champion and 2014 Olympian Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, Utah) is expected to return and seek a repeat berth on Team USA.

The Trials are yet another reminder of the positive legacy from the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and a national television exposure opportunity for the state. The Utah Olympic Park remains as both a prominent venue for elite athlete training combined with programs to bring youth into winter sport. Since the Olympics, the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation has played host to over 175 national and international competitions.

A complete event and broadcast schedule will be released this fall. All nominations to the U.S. Olympic Team are subject to approval by the USOC.

QUOTES
Tiger Shaw, President and CEO, U.S. Ski & Snowboard
Our sport is fortunate to continue to take advantage of legacy opportunities nearly 16 years after the 2002 Olympics in Utah. The Utah Olympic Park will be an amazing backdrop for our athletes in an event that will showcase our sport nationwide on NBC.

Jeff Robbins, President and CEO, Utah Sports Commission
As a key partner in the 2018 Olympic Trials for ski jumping and nordic combined, the fact that this world-class event will generate millions of dollars in economic impact and significant worldwide media exposure for Utah is terrific news for our state.

Colin Hilton, President and CEO, Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation
The Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation strives to develop a 'living legacy' with vibrant youth sport programs and community engagement. The opportunity to host the Olympic Trials allows us to continue to support winter sport while inspiring future athletes and the local community.
 

ABOUT U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
A collaboration between the United States Olympic Committee and its National Governing Bodies, U.S. Olympic Team Trials are held in multiple sports prior to each edition of the Olympic Games and allow athletes to vie for the honor of representing Team USA. Often the last stop in an athlete’s journey to the Olympics, the Trials also offer fans an up-close experience with America’s sports heroes before they go on to compete on the world’s biggest stage. Selection procedures for each sport are developed by the NGBs in concert with the USOC and follow parameters set forth by each International Federation.

PARK CITY, UT (July 25, 2017) – Park City's Olympic ski jumps will kick off the Olympic season with the first U.S. Championship of 2017-18. A full contingent of the top men's and women's ski jumpers will compete in the large hill event of the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships on Saturday, July 29. Fans can live stream the event from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. MDT. The event on the HS134-meter hill is a part of the 19th annual Jindro Mayer Springer Tournee, culminating a week of competitions at the Utah Olympic Park for ski jumpers of all ages.

The normal hill ski jumping championship, along with nordic combined, will be held in October at Lake Placid, NY.

Local Will Rhoads (Park City, UT/Park City Nordic) will be going for a third straight U.S. title on the large hill after narrowly defeating teammate Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL/Norge Ski Club) for the gold in 2016. Bickner went on to have the strongest season for a U.S. jumper in over a decade last year, including the setting of a new American distance record of 244.5 meters. Earlier this month, Bickner finished third in a Continental Cup in Kranj, Slovenia - a career best at that level. Casey Larson (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club), who took bronze for the men last year, scored a top-10 finish in the Junior World Championships at the Utah Olympic Park this past February. Michael Glasder (Cary, IL/Norge Ski Club), who won the normal hill gold two years ago, should also be a factor.

Rhoads, who swept both title events last year, will be going for three in a row. He has also won the last two large hill titles. Bickner, who has a host of silver and bronze medals, will be seeking his first U.S. title.

USA Nordic Coach Clint Jones expects a hotly contest battle. The team is just back from a training camp in Slovenia focusing mainly on equipment and physical conditioning, with the U.S. Championships quickly shifting the focus to competition.

The women's field will be among the strongest in recent years with a full contingent of U.S. jumpers coming back from European training camps to vie for the national title. Among those anticipated to battle for medals is 2013 world champion Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, UT/Women's Ski Jumping USA). It will be her first U.S. Championships appearance since she won the normal hill crown at Lake Placid in October of 2014.

Hendrickson will face strong challenges from Nita Englund (Florence, WI/Kiwanis Ski Club), Tara Geraghty-Moats (West Fairlee, VT/Women's Ski Jumping USA) and Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY/New York Ski Education Foundation). Each of the four jumpers has won a national title in the last three years. Last year's winner, Jessica Jerome (Park City, UT/Women's Ski Jumping USA), is not competing.

With early season training focus centered more on the normal hill, Women's Ski Jumping USA Coach Alan Alborn is looking for it to be wide open in the battle for the U.S. title on the HS134 meter hill. Ski Jump

Admission is free for Saturday's championship event with a trial round plus two competition jumps.
 

U.S. SKI JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIPS AND SPRINGER TOURNEE SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 27
8:00 - 11:30 a.m. - Springer Tournee HS68-meter
4:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Springer Tournee HS10-42-meter

Friday, July 28
Live Stream
8:00 - 11:30 a.m. - Springer Tournee HS100-meter

Saturday, July 29
Live Stream
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. - U.S. Ski Jumping Championship, HS134-meter

PARK CITY, Utah (June 29, 2017) – U.S. Ski & Snowboard partner organizations USA Nordic Sports and Women’s Ski Jumping USA have both announced new head coaches for the 2017-18 season. Martin Bayer will serve as the new head nordic combined coach and Igor Cuznar will be the World Cup coach for the women.

Cuznar has been involved with ski jumping since 1985. He competed as an athlete before becoming a coach in Slovenia in 2000. Cuznar joined the women's team in 2015, assisting then head coach Bine Norcic at both the Continental and World Cup levels. In his new role, Cuznar will focus on creating athletic success on the World Cup and supporting the top athletes in women’s ski jumping, including Sarah Hendrickson, Nita Englund and others, from his home in Slovenia.

“As our sport continues to grow, we’ve evolved our staff to help manage and foster that growth across all our programs,” said Alan Alborn, program director for Women's Ski Jumping USA. “Igor’s home base of Slovenia will provide a consistent environment for the team that works well with their heavy travel and competition demands. We are really looking forward to the lead up to this Olympic season and beyond.”

USA Nordic recently promoted Bayer from development/Continental Cup coach to head coach. The promotion is the culmination of over 17 years as a coach in the U.S. at the club and national team level. He also competed at both the 1992 and 1994 Olympics for Czechoslovakia and the Slovak Republic respectively. Bayer’s close work with the national teams over the past few years made him a natural fit for the role left vacant by retired head coach Dave Jarrett.

“Martin’s years spent rising through the club ranks allow him to relate to everyone, from the parents to the athletes, involved with our sport,” said USA Nordic Sports Executive Director Bill Demong. “He will implement the best plan for the team using the resources we have to ensure we see athletic success this season and beyond.”

Both Bayer and Cuznar will be on board to support the ski jumping and nordic combined teams throughout their training this summer.

Ski jumping and nordic combined athletes will compete next month at the 19th annual Springer Tournee at the Utah Olympic Park July 27-30. The event will also serve at the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships for the large hill.