OBERSTDORF, Germany (Jan. 31, 2016) - American Nita Englund (Florence, WI) flew to a pair of top 10 finishes FIS Ski Jumping World Cups this weekend in Oberstdorf. Japan’s Sara Takanashi continued to dominate, winning both competitions to pad her World Cup lead.

Saturday Englund soared 93.5 meters on her first jump to stand fifth. In the second jump, she stretched it out to 94.0 meters but dropped to ninth. Takanashi set a new hill record on her second ride with a 107.0 meter jump.

“I really liked my first competition jump, but my second had some mistakes and I lost a bit of ground,“ said Englund. “Unfortunately my jumps were much better yesterday in training but tomorrow is a new day!”  

On Sunday, Englund went 95.5 meters on her first jump to stand ninth. She bumped it up to 100.5 meters on the second ride, but remained in ninth.

“Nita has been jumping very well in training but is not transferring that high performance into competition,” said U.S. coach Vasja Bajc. “We’re working with her to stay calm and focused to perform at the same level in competition.”

Englund has cracked the top 10 in three of her last five competitions and presently stands 18th in the World Cup standings.

The World Cup now heads to Oslo, Norway for the famed Holmenkollen Ski Festival where the women will jump Thursday on the HS134-meter large hill.

RESULTS
Sat. Jan. 30, 2016 - HS106 meter
Sun. Jan. 31, 2016 - HS106 meter

SEEFELD, Austria (Jan. 31, 2016) - Heavy, sticky snow fell on Seefeld Sunday but that didn't stop Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) from leading the cross country race to finish a career best seventh in the Seefeld Triple. Germany's Eric Frenzel came from a 56-second deficit to win his third straight Triple, a three-day Nordic combined stage race.

Sunday's finale format called for two jumps plus a 15k cross country race - 5k longer than usual. Weather conditions forced officials to shorten to the traditional one jump with a 10k cross country race. With heavy snow falling, Fletcher used it to his advantage to move up, challenging for the number three spot in the race before falling back.

“It was a tough fight all through the weekend and today was especially challenging with the snow conditions,” said Fletcher. “I managed to put together a jump that would keep me in the fight - not perfect but good enough heading into the cross country race.”  

Fletcher stood 16th after the jumps, starting two minutes, 24 seconds behind leader Akito Watabe.

“The snow was a good thing for me,” Fletcher said. “I knew it would be slow and sticky making the race more difficult and the race times longer. It definitely gave me an opportunity to push hard and catch the lead pack. Once I closed the gap I did my best to fight for third but I was a little too exhausted at the end of the race for the sprint.”

After a rough start to the season, Seefeld marked a turning point for Fletcher.

“I feel things are working back towards positive performances now,” he said. “To be in the top 10 on a three-day event is not easy and I am very happy to continue my strong performances in this event. This year was my third time in the top 10 overall at the Seefeld Triple.”

He was fifth in the debut of the Seefeld Triple in 2014 and ninth last year.

The World Cup now heads up to Oslo for the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, which Fletcher won in 2011.

“I am excited to attempt to carry this momentum into Oslo next week,” he said.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Bryan Fletcher finished seventh in the Seefeld Triple.
• Germany's Eric Frenzel came from a 56-second deficit to win his third straight Triple, a three-day Nordic combined stage race.
• The race was shortened due to heavy, wet snow to one jump and a 10K cross country race.
• The World Cup now heads up to Oslo for the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, which Fletcher won in 2011.

QUOTES

Bryan Fletcher
It was a tough fight all through the weekend and today was especially challenging with the snow conditions. I managed to put together a jump that would keep me in the fight - not perfect but good enough heading into the cross country race.

The snow was a good thing for me. I knew it would be slow and sticky making the race more difficult and the race times longer. It definitely gave me an opportunity to push hard and catch the lead pack. Once I closed the gap I did my best to fight for third but I was a little too exhausted at the end of the race for the sprint.

I feel things are working back towards positive performances now. To be in the top 10 on a three-day event is not easy and I am very happy to continue my strong performances in this event. This year was my third time in the top 10 overall at the Seefeld Triple.

RESULTS
Seefeld Triple Final

SEEFELD, Austria (Jan. 30, 2016) - Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) parlayed a 16th in jumping with a sixth in cross country to finish ninth in the second of three stages of the Seefeld Triple. Germany's Eric Frenzel continued to dominate with a second straight win over Japan's Akito Watabe. Frenzel won by a huge 24 second margin.

Fletcher soared 98.5 meters on his jump, but was a minute, 40 seconds back from the leaders after calculation of his current Seefeld Triple points. Three-stage FIS Nordic Combined World Cup wraps up Sunday with a two-jump and 15k cross country finale.

RESULTS
Seefeld Triple Second Stage

CHAUX-NEUVE, France (Jan. 23, 2016) - After a month long break, the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup finally got back underway at Chaux-Neuve in the Jura Mountains. Americans Bryan and Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) led the way, finishing 19th and 20th. Taylor recorded the fastest cross country time, with Bryan third.

“It felt great to be back on the circuit. The weather was awesome for the comp today and I am happy with my performance,” Bryan Fletcher said. “I have been slowly making progress towards a higher level on the jump hill and the cross country was great today. I felt strong and skied a smart race especially considering I was in the front quite a lot during the race pulling a strong group.”

Germany’s Eric Frenzel took a 4.7 second victory over Austrian Bernhard Gruber with Akito Watabe of Japan, the jump leader, third. The race debuted a new cross country course in Chaux-Neuve with athletes doing five laps on the two kilometer course.

In the morning jump, Bryan Fletcher soared to 29th with Taylor 33rd. That put Bryan a minute, 46 seconds back in the cross country, with Taylor another 12 seconds behind. By the midway mark, Taylor hooked up with Bryan and the two skied together, working their way through the pack.

The World Cup continues Sunday with a second individual event.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Germany’s Fabian Riessle was fifth to retain his overall World Cup lead.
• Taylor Fletcher set the pace with the fastest 10k cross country time, with Bryan Fletcher third.
   

QUOTES

Bryan Fletcher
It felt great to be back on the circuit. The weather was awesome for the comp today and I am happy with my performance. I have been slowly making progress towards a higher level on the jump hill and the cross country was great today. I felt strong and skied a smart race especially considering I was in the front quite a lot during the race pulling a strong group.

Taylor Fletcher
Today was a pretty decent day. I had a better comp round jump but still not where I know I can be. The race was a great race but it looks better on paper with the fastest time, but I feel that I can ski it much better.

In some places on the course I was in the wrong position, which caused me to work harder to get back towards the front of the group. I am looking forward to (Sunday) as each jump has been better, and my day two races have been my best this year so far.

RESULTS
Nordic Combined HS118/10k Individual Gundersen

SAPPORO, Japan (Jan. 17, 2016) - Nita Englund (Florence, WI) came from behind on her second jump to finish seventh, her best result of the season, in a FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Sapporo. Japan's Sara Takanashi continued her winning streak to remain the World Cup leader.

In the opening round of Sunday's competition, Englund went 85.0 meters to stand 20th. She pushed her second round jump out to 91.0 meters - fourth longest of the round - to move up to seventh.

"My trial and my second round jump were both quite similar," said Englund. "I was mostly just more relaxed today and happy to find the same rhythm as my normal training jumps."

Abby Hughes (Park City, UT) was 27th with Tara Geraghty-Moats (W. Fairlee, VT) 35th.

The tour now heads to Zao for competitions Friday and Saturday.

RESULTS
Women's HS100 Meter World Cup

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 11, 2016) – Two ski jumpers and one nordic combined skier have been nominated by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association to the 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team that will compete in Lillehammer, Norway, February 12-21. Casey Larson, 17, (Barrington, IL/Norge Ski Club) was nominated to the men’s ski jumping team, with Logan Sankey, 17, (Steamboat Springs, CO/Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club) nominated to the women’s squad. Ben Loomis, 17, (Eau Claire, WI/Flying Eagles Ski Club) was nominated to represent Team USA in nordic combined.

The International Olympic Committee’s Youth Olympic Games offer a competitive venue for young athletes to not only compete, but also participate in a Learn & Share program designed to inspire and empower youth. The 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team will be formally named by the United States Olympic Committee in late January.

Larson and Sankey qualified for nomination based on results in ski jumping events in December at Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT. Loomis earned his spot with a top-five finish in a FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow in Park City, UT in December.

Modeled after the Olympic Games, the Youth Olympic Games debuted its winter event in 2012 at Innsbruck, Austria. Held every four years, the Winter Youth Olympic Games will feature over 1,100 athletes, aged 15 to 18, from around the world.

The nordic combined event, along with individual ski jumping events for men and women, are set for February 16. A mixed team ski jumping event will be February 18.

Coupled with the competition, the Learn & Share program will offer young athletes the opportunity to become ambassadors of their sport through workshops and exercises based around five major themes: Olympism, Social Responsibility, Skills Development, Expression and Well-Being and Healthy Lifestyles. 

2016 U.S. YOUTH OLYMPIC TEAM SKI JUMPING/NORDIC COMBINED NOMINEES

Nordic Combined

Men
Ben Loomis (Eau Claire, WI, 17, Flying Eagles Ski Club): Loomis is following in the footsteps of older brother Adam, who competes on the World Cup tour. He solidified his spot on the team with an outstanding weekend in the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup in Utah with a fourth-place finish. He was a member of the 2015 Junior Worlds Team that competed in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Ski Jumping

Men
Casey Larson (Barrington, IL, 17, Norge Ski Club): Larson grew up ski jumping with the Norge Ski Club in suburban Chicago. He was third last season in the U.S. Junior National Championships and won the first of two qualifying events in Steamboat Springs, CO in December to help earn a nomination.

Women
Logan Sankey (Steamboat Springs, CO, 17, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club): A member of the 2015 Junior Worlds Team that competed in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Sankey finished 11th and 16th in a FIS Continental Cup ski jumping event last January in Sweden.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games will be held in Lillehammer, Norway, February 12-21.
• It is the second installment of the Winter Youth Olympic Games and will feature over 1,100 young athletes aged 15-18 competing in winter events.
• Alongside competition, the teens will also learn the spirit of the Olympic Games, so that they may become strong ambassadors of their sports.
• The USOC will formally name the 2016 U.S. Youth Olympic Team in late January.
• The jumping team was named based on two December competitions in Steamboat Springs, CO and Park City, UT.
• The Nordic combined athlete was nominated based on results from the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup in Utah.

BISCHOFSHOFEN, Austria (Jan. 6, 2015) - A courageous Nick Fairall returned to the towering ski jump in Bischoshofen Tuesday, seeking closure and to say thanks on the one year anniversary of a training accident while preparing for the final round of the Springertournee. Fairall, who won the Olympic Trails for the USA in 2014, took a ride to the top of the jump and then told his story to a throng of journalists - appearing very positive and confident and he chronicled his long journey over the past twelve months.

Here's a collection of tributes from journalists and the ski jumping community honoring Fairall and his journey.

Today: a day defined not by the fall, but by the subsequent rise and climb that followed. https://t.co/cIWrdPrK4l pic.twitter.com/8wxrDV7fZT

— Doug Eldridge (@dougeldridge) January 6, 2016

.@USSkiTeam Olympic ski jumper @Nick_Fairall back at scene of horrible crash one year later. https://t.co/YDaxBTgOVU pic.twitter.com/7vrvcDLpe2

— NBC OlympicTalk (@NBCOlympicTalk) January 5, 2016

Humbled to call @Nick_Fairall a teammate https://t.co/IUj6mUMAVU

— Jessica Jerome (@jessicajerome) January 5, 2016

Humbled to call @Nick_Fairall a teammate https://t.co/IUj6mUMAVU

— Jessica Jerome (@jessicajerome) January 5, 2016