WHISTLER — After waiting 86 years to win its first Olympic medal, the U.S. nordic combined team wasn’t about to complain when its second medal of the Vancouver Games was another silver.
But gold was within reach in Tuesday’s team event. And it was slow skis, not slow skiers, that made the difference. Austria took the gold medal when Mario Stecher outkicked Bill Demong of Vermontville, N.Y., on the anchor leg of the 4 x 5-kilometer cross country race to win by 5.2 seconds. Germany took the bronze, 19.5 seconds behind.
The U.S. has medaled in both nordic combined events here — Johnny Spillane took silver in the normal hill event 10 days ago — and has a chance to go three-for-three in Thursday’s large hill event.
“This is our second medal ever, so we’re really happy,” Demong said. “We did a really good job today.”
Demong actually was nine seconds faster on his leg than Stecher, but it was clear on downhills and flats that Stecher had faster skis for the snowstorm that intensified throughout the race.
“I had the better skis,” Stecher conceded. “Thanks to the service guys, because otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible that way.”
Demong had his choice of three pair and went with the same pair he used 10 days ago, when he had the third-fastest time. They weren’t running well Tuesday, so Demong knew he had to open up a gap on Stecher before the steep hill leading down into the finish to have any chance of winning.
“I knew his glide was a little better than mine on the flats and the downs,” Demong said. “Going up the last hill I gave it everything I had and hoped to open up a gap of four or five seconds to be able to hold on to the finish.”
Spillane, who had the same problem with his skis while racing in the third leg, could see Demong was doing his best.
“It looked to me like he had some pretty slow skis,” Spillane said. “This is a fast finish, and if you don’t have fast skis, it makes it that much tougher. It’s hard to not win, because we definitely wanted to win. I think everybody can be satisfied because we gave 100 percent effort.”
The U.S. team was in second place after the morning ski jump competition, which was half of the battle. Todd Lodwick had the second-best jump of the day and he turned in a strong second leg in the cross country race.
“At the end of the race, the snow came and made a difference with the skis,” said Lodwick, who finally earned a medal in his fifth Olympics. “But my teammates are so strong, they powered through it and kept us in the medals. Of course, to be Olympic champion would be fantastic, but I have a silver medal. We won silver today.”
At last year’s world championships, Demong got the U.S. disqualified when he misplaced his bib, which he later discovered had slipped down a pant leg of his jump suit. It was the only event the U.S. didn’t win there.
But he’s also been the heart and soul of this team, and like Lodwick, is a world champion.
“Billy’s just been heroic,” said former U.S. nordic combined coach Tom Steitz of Steamboat. “He works his heart out. When you get in that do-or-die situation, Billy’s the guy you want. He was a little disappointed, but our skis were not as good as they should have been. He’s just a great kid, he never complains. He just works hard.”
John Meyer: 303-954-1616 or jmeyer@denverpost.com
Gaining ground
Before 2003, U.S. nordic combined skiers had never won a medal at a major event. Now they have eight. The list:
2003 Johnny Spillane, world championship gold
2007 Bill Demong, world championship bronze
2009 Todd Lodwick, two world championship gold; Demong, world championship gold and bronze
2010 Spillane, Olympic silver; U.S. team (four-man event), Olympic silver
