LAHTI, Finland (Feb. 21, 2016) - Germany’s Fabian Riessle knocked off his teammate and World Cup leader Eric Frenzel in a FIS Nordic Combined World Cup Sunday, the second individual event in Lahti, site of the 2017 World Championships. Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) led the USA in 25th, with brother Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) 28th.

Bryan Fletcher moved up from 41st after the jump with the ninth fastest cross country leg, while brother Taylor came from 48th to ski the third fastest leg.

The World Cup tour continues in Kuopio, Finland on Tuesday.

RESULTS
Nordic Combined Individual Gundersen

LAHTI, Finland (Feb. 19, 2016) - Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) made a big leap in cross country, moving up to finish 24th as the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup resumed in Lahti. Germany’s Eric Frenzel took the win in dramatic fashion to further extend his World Cup lead.

Fletcher soared 108.0 meters on his jump, finding himself more than three minutes back going into the 10k cross country segment. He skied the seventh fastest leg to cut the margin by more than a minute, finishing 24th.

"Today was a closer step forward to knowing I can be where I want to be,” said Fletcher. "Today I had a much better jump but was still late on the end, losing the power that is needed. The race was solid but racing from the back is always hard to ski fast, as you end up doing a lot of leading. There were a couple times I got blocked by a slower skier and lost contact with the skiers I was with and I had to ski harder to catch back up." 

Fletcher has been focusing on jumping, which is even more critical than in the past with new rules that changed points per meter from 1.5 to 1.8, giving strong jumpers a bigger lead going into cross country.

The race ended in dramatic fashion, with 18-year-old Norwegian Jarl Riiber set up for his first win. But Riiber took a wrong turn in the stadium, opening the door for World Cup leader Frenzel to pounce on another win.

A team sprint is set for Saturday with another individual event Sunday in Lahti, all tests for the 2017 World Championships.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Taylor Fletcher finished 24th, taking the seventh fastest cross country leg.
• The race series is a test for the 2017 World Championships in Lahti.
• A team sprint is set for Saturday with an individual event Sunday.

QUOTES

Taylor Fletcher
Today was a closer step forward to knowing I can be where I want to be. Today I had a much better jump but was still late on the end, losing the power that is needed. The race was solid but racing from the back is always hard to ski fast, as you end up doing a lot of leading. There were a couple times I got blocked by a slower skier and lost contact with the skiers I was with and I had to ski harder to catch back up.

RESULTS
Individual Gundersen

VIKERSUND, Norway (Feb. 14, 2016) - Imagine soaring nearly two and a half football fields off a towering ski jump. U.S. ski jumper Kevin Bickner (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club) became one of only a handful of American ski jumpers to have crested the 200-meter barrier Sunday, soaring 214.5 meters at the World Ski Flying Championships in Vikersund. It was the longest jump of his career.

Bickner put down the record jump on his first ride during Sunday’s finals, earning him a second jump, finishing in the top 30 for the first time in his career. It was also his first time on a ski flying hill, including the massive HS225 meter jump in Vikersund.

"Being my first time ski flying, it took me a couple of days to figure out how to manage this big of a hill,” said Bickner. "With that said, I still didn't have perfect jumps so I hope to bring the knowledge I gained here into the next ski flying comp in Planica to improve my results. I have a high level of confidence going into Junior Worlds in Rasnov next week."

Bickner recorded what is believed to be the second longest jump by an U.S ski jumper. Alan Alborn currently holds the American record at 221.5 meters, set in qualifying for the Planica, Slovenia World Cup in March 2002.

QUOTES

Kevin Bickner
Being my first time ski flying, it took me a couple of days to figure out how to manage this big of a hill. With that said, I still didn't have perfect jumps so I hope to bring the knowledge I gained here into the next ski flying comp in Planica to improve my results. I have a high level of confidence going into Junior Worlds in Rasnov next week.

RESULTS
World Ski Flying Championships

LILLEHAMMER, Norway (Feb. 18, 2016) - Slovenia continued to roll Thursday, taking gold in the mixed gender team ski jumping event at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer. The USA was 10th. Germany took silver with Austria bronze.

The event included both the long man and women from each nation’s ski jumping team, plus the nordic combined athlete.

Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO) went 70.0 and 67.5 meters on her two jumps. Nordic combined skier Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI), the silver medalist from the combined individual competition Tuesday, soared 86.0 and 87.0 meters while special jumper Casey Larson (Barrington, IL) went 92.5 and 89.0 meters.

Sankey came out of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club program and has been a part of Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A.’s Fly Girls program. Larson is from the Norge Ski Club in suburban Chicago, which has been one of the leading jumping clubs in America. Loomis is from the Flying Eagles Ski Club in Eau Claire, WI, and has had a strong season on the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup series.

The nordic skiers will wrap up on Saturday with another team event. The unique nordic combined relay will feature two cross country skiers racing, the two special jumpers jumping plus the nordic combined skier doing both.

RESULTS
Mixed Gender Ski Jumping Team Event 

LILLEHAMMER, Norway (Feb. 16, 2016) - Casey Larson (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club) soared to a strong sixth place finish on the HS100 meter hill at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer Tuesday. Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) was 12th for the women. Gold medals went to Bor Pavlovcic for men and Ema Klinec for women – both from Slovenia.

Larson soared 97.0 meters on his first jump, coming back with an 87.0 meter ride on his second. Pavlovcic went 101.0 and 99.0 meters for the gold.

Casey Larson soared to a sixth place finish on the HS100 meter hill at the Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer Tuesday. (YIS/IOC-Simon Bruty)

In the women’s competition, Sankey, who came out of the Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A. Fly Girls program, flew 74.0 and 69.0 meters to take 12th.

“I jumped really well from a lot lower speed than I was used to,” Sankey said. “A lot of the girls here are really good, and so it was cool to test myself against them. I’m really stoked for Ben who got silver, and Casey had some of his best jumps of the week, too. I think it was a great day for everyone.”

Up next is Thursday’s mixed gender jump, where Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI/Flying Eagles Ski Club) will team up with Larson (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club) and Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club).

RESULTS
Men’s HS100 meter jump
Women’s HS100 meter jump

LILLEHAMMER, Norway (Feb. 16, 2016) - The USA’s Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI/Flying Eagles Ski Club) parlayed a strong jump into a silver medal in the Youth Olympic Games individual nordic combined Tuesday in Lillehammer. Germany’s Tim Kopp took gold.

Loomis set himself up for success, jumping to second with a 98.5 meter ride, starting just eight seconds behind Kopp.

Ben Loomis leads Tim Kopp of Germany in Tuesday’s Nordic Combined at the Youth Olympic Winter Games. (YIS/IOC-Thomas Lovelock)

“It’s great to set yourself up with a good jump and not have to worry going into the cross country race,” Loomis said. “I was just really focused. I was able to think about exactly what I had to do and I did it perfectly - it was my best jump of the week.”

In the 5k cross country race, Loomis closed the gap quickly, taking the lead and battling together with Kopp and the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Pazout for the medals.

“I caught Tim pretty quickly - I was just trying to get up to be able to ski with him,” Loomis said. “We went back and forth for three k’s before Ondrej caught us and we stuck together until 4.5k. Then Tim was able to hammer over the top of the hill. It was good to stay with those guys. I went as hard as I could but didn’t have it in me.”

Ben Loomis (left) stands with the Tim Kopp of Germany in first and the Czech Republic’s Ondrej Pazout in third. (YIS/IOC-Thomas Lovelock)

Up next is Thursday’s mixed gender jump, where Loomis will also jump along with Casey Larson (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club) and Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club).

RESULTS
Individual Nordic Combined

LJUBNO, Slovenia (Feb. 13, 2016) - The USA’s Nita Englund (Florence, WI) soared to seventh in a FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Ljubno. Slovenia’s Maja Vtic took an upset win over Japan’s Sara Takanashi, who was second.

“Today was fun, but I need to catch my timing and improve my landings,” Englund said. “I loved the atmosphere here in Ljubno, and it was fun jumping for my 'second home' crowd.”

Englund went 87.5 meters on each of her two jumps. Takanashi, meanwhile, jumped a half meter longer than Vtic in each round, but lost on style points. Takanashi’s two 91.5-meter jumps were the long rides of the day.

The World Cup continues Sunday with a second event in Ljubno.

RESULTS
Women’s HS95 meter Jump

OSLO, Norway (Feb. 6, 2016) - Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) moved up from 20th to 15th Saturday in the King’s Cup, one of the most prestigious events on the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup tour at Holmenkollen in Oslo. Norway’s own Jarl Magnus Riiber took the win, leading the jump and holding to defeat Japan’s Akito Watabe by 16 seconds in heavy, dense fog.

Fletcher continued his move towards more stable jumping, soaring 115.5 meters on his jump, but finding himself two minutes, 28 seconds back in the cross country after Riiber went 130.0 meters on his competition ride. Fletcher had the ninth fastest cross country time to cut the gap to 1:14.

"Today was a hard day, foggy, light winds, and rain made for a challenge on both the jump hill and the cross country course,” said Fletcher. "I was happy with my jump today. The improvements in jumping are still coming which I am happy about and today it put me in the fight for top 10. Unfortunately the legs were a bit tired after last weeks racing still so I had a hard time on the last hill in the sprint."

The World Cup tour gets only a short break before resuming Tuesday and Wednesday in Trondheim.

RESULTS
Nordic Combined Gundersen

PARK CITY, UT (Feb. 3, 2016) – The U.S. Ski Team has named 14 nordic combined and ski jumping athletes to compete in the FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships in Rasnov, Romania February 23-28.

Jasper Good (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) will lead the five-member nordic combined squad, competing in his fourth Junior Worlds. Kevin Bickner (Park City, UT/Norge Ski Club) heads up a four-man men’s ski jumping team, taking a break from competing on the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup tour to participate in his third Junior Worlds. Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) returns for a second time to Junior Worlds, joining her teammates for the five-woman jumping team. The five women from clubs around the country have come through Women's Ski Jumping USA's Fly Girls development program.

Casey Larson, Sankey and Loomis are also members of the Youth Olympic Games team that will compete this month in Lillehammer, Norway, prior to Junior Worlds.

Competition begins in Rasnov February 24, the first time the event has been in Romania. In 2017, the Junior Worlds will come to the USA, with Utah playing host to the event at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow Olympic venues.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The FIS Nordic Junior World Ski Championships (athletes 19 and under) are taking place in Rasnov, Romania Feb. 23-28.
• Athletes were selected based on competition results this season.
• Athletes from five different USSA club programs are on the team, including five from the Norge Ski Club in suburban Chicago.
• The team includes three 15-year-old athletes.
• The 2017 FIS Nordic Junior World Championships will be held at Utah’s Olympic venues in Park City and Soldier Hollow.
• The Junior Worlds has been held only once previously in America, on the Olympic venues of Lake Placid in 1986. It will be the first time in the USA for the U23 Championships.
• The National Nordic Foundation has provided support for the Junior Worlds teams.

2016 FIS NORDIC JUNIOR WORLD SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM
Name, Hometown, Birthdate (USSA Club)

NORDIC COMBINED

Jasper Good, Steamboat Springs, CO 5/10/96 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
Ben Loomis, Eau Claire, WI 6/9/98 (Flying Eagles Ski Club/Park City Nordic Ski Club)
Stephen Schumann, Salt Lake City 3/14/00 (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
Jared Shumate, Park City, UT 3/6/99 (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
Koby Vargas, Steamboat Springs, CO 5/31/98 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

Coach: Martin Bayer

SKI JUMPING

Men

Kevin Bickner, Park City, UT 9/23/96 (Norge Ski Club)

Patrick Gasienica, Spring Grove, IL 11/28/98 (Norge Ski Club)  

Casey Larson, Barrington, IL 12/16/98 (Norge Ski Club)

Nate Mattoon, Eau Claire, WI 9/22/98 (Flying Eagles Ski Club)

Coaches: Blake Hughes, Scott Smith

Women
Gabby Armstrong, Lake Placid, NY 12/6/98 (New York Ski Education Foundation)
Mollie Immens, Fox River Grove, IL 3/23/00 (Norge Ski Club)
Sophia Nester, Park City, UT 12/17/99 (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
Cara Larson, Barrington, IL 11/5/00 (Norge Ski Club)
Logan Sankey, Steamboat Springs, CO 5/28/98 (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

Coach: Lindsey Van

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Rasnov, Romania

Feb. 23 – Opening Ceremony

Feb. 24 – Nordic combined HS100/10k
Feb. 25 – Men’s/women’s HS100-meter ski jump
Feb. 26 – Nordic combined team event HS100/4x5k

Feb. 27 – Men’s HS100-meter team ski jump
Feb. 28 – Mixed gender HS100-meter team ski jump
Feb. 28 – Nordic combined HS100/5k

Feb. 28 – Closing Ceremony