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Victory pays off for U.S. Nordic skiers
By Jason Swensen
Deseret News staff writer
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — Pro boxers quit fighting "winner-takes-all" bouts long ago. America's Nordic skiers are still game.
Elite Nordic combined athlete Todd Lodwick and top American ski jumper Alan Alborn both collected $10,000 checks after winning Wednesday's U.S. Gold Cup event in their respective disciplines. The prize for Lodwick and Alborn's runner-ups? A shiny medal and a handshake.
The winners from both the Nordic combined and ski jumping competitions were also awarded an automatic spot on the 2002 Olympic squad — a moot honor for Lodwick and Alborn, who have already proved to be their nation's best Olympic hope in Nordic combined and ski jumping.
Alborn arrived in Steamboat Springs earlier this week after finishing fourth in a World Cup ski jumping competition in Europe. The easy-going Alaskan is enjoying his best year ever in the World Cup circuit and has become something of a "live underdog" to win a medal during the 2002 Winter Games.
He was clearly the king of historic Howelsen Hill Wednesday, landing jumps of 118.5 and 113.5 meters on the K114 hill. Steamboat Springs native Clint Jones, 17, finished second with leaps of 115.5 and 110.5 meters. Brendan Doran was third.
Alborn admitted the Gold Cup competition couldn't compare to jumping against the world's elite — but he hoped to stay sharp, consistent and focused.
"I was trying to come here and jump the same as I did in the last World Cup," Alborn said.
Lodwick has also skied impressively this season against the sport's best, placing second and sixth earlier this week in a pair of World Cup Nordic combined competitions in his hometown of Steamboat. Still, Lodwick had, well, 10,000 reasons to avoid a letdown against domestic competition.
Lodwick jumped strong Wednesday, hitting marks of 113.5 and 117.5 meters on the K114 hill during the jumping segment of the Nordic combined competition. The superior jumps meant Lodwick started the 5-kilometer cross country race several seconds ahead of his closest competitor, teammate Bill Demong.
Lodwick was never challenged in the race, finishing 48 seconds ahead of Demong. U.S. national teamers Johnny Spillane, Nathan Gerhart and Matt Dayton rounded out the top five.
"I'm really, really looking forward to the Olympic Games — the team event and the individual (competitions) also," Lodwick said.
America's Nordic combined team is, indeed, developing into a legitimate medal contender in the upcoming Winter Games.
"We want to peak for February," Nordic combined coach Tom Stet said.
E-MAIL: jswensen@desnews.com
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December 20, 2001
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