LIBEREC, Czech Republic—Bill Demong bounced back from his blunder in the team competition to earn his first world title, winning gold in the Nordic combined large hill event on Saturday.
Demong erased a 52-second deficit to Jason Lamy Chappuis of France and then pulled away from Bjoern Kircheisen of Germany near the end to finish in 23 minutes, 36.6 seconds at the world championships. Kircheisen was 12.8 seconds back for silver, while Lamy Chappuis finished 31.4 back in third.
Demong’s first world title comes two days after he was disqualified for losing his bib ahead of his ski jump in the team competition, which ruined the United States’ chance of a medal. He took bronze in the normal hill event last Sunday, and now added a fourth gold to the Americans’ already record-breaking haul in Liberec.
“It was a great way to end the world championship,” said Demong, of Vermontville, N.Y. “I knew it would have to be a really, really good race for me to have a chance.”
He was in seventh place after the ski jump portion on Saturday but gradually closed in on the leaders, catching up to Kircheisen and Lamy Chappuis at the 6-kilometer mark. The Frenchman was forced to give ground shortly afterward, and Demong shadowed Kircheisen the rest of the way before making a decisive push shortly before entering the stadium.
He had a comfortable lead on the home straight, raising both arms and letting out a yell as he crossed the finish line.
“I saw on the big TV screen about 5 meters from the finish (that I was alone),” Demong said. “That’s when it set in. Until I crossed that finish line, I didn’t give any thought to the medal.”
Lamy Chappuis soared 131 meters in the ski jumping round, which was restarted once and disrupted by changing wind conditions. It was four meters farther than Finland’s Anssi Koivuranta, who was in second place but pulled out of the decisive 10-kilometer freestyle race because of an illness.
“I tried to start at my own pace, but they were just really too strong for me, these guys,” the Frenchman said.
It was a remarkable comeback for Demong, who had to be consoled by coaches and teammates after Thursday’s mishap, when his bib had slipped down through his ski jumping suit and into his boot. He found it a few minutes after his allotted starting time, but was not allowed an exception to jump later.
“I have to give credit to my teammates,” he said. “They did a really good job of keeping my spirits up and telling me to forget about it.”
Demong said he now has a new way of safeguarding his bib, hanging it around his neck instead of stuffing it into his suit. As he was waiting for his turn to jump Saturday, he held it up to a TV camera with a smile.
Warm temperatures had softened up the snow and created a slushy and slow track, which Demong said suited him perfectly as one of the stronger skiers on the circuit. However, he said it wasn’t the anger from Thursday’s mishap that helped fuel his chase of the leaders.
“Sometimes I ski angry, and it helps,” he said. “Today … I just wanted it for this team, because I felt I let them down a bit. But it was positive energy, not anger.”
Todd Lodwick, the American from Steamboat Springs, Colo., who won both previous individual Nordic combined events here, finished 10th, 1:13.5 behind Demong. Lodwick had a disappointing jump of 117 meters and started the ski race 1:38 back in 23rd place.
“Today really proves how strong our team is,” Lodwick said.
Norway’s Magnus Moan, another favorite, advanced from 33rd place to finish fifth.
Koivuranta’s illness ended a disappointing worlds for the overall World Cup leader, who finished fourth in both previous individual events. The championships end Sunday with the men’s 50-kilometer cross-country race.
