August 03, 2015 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – On a hot summer evening on the Olympic trails of Soldier Hollow, Olympian Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) notched a repeat national title at the U.S. Nordic Combined Championships. The jump leader from the Utah Olympic Park HS134-meter large hill earlier in the day, Fletcher held off a hard-charging Adam Loomis (Eau Claire, WI) for gold with Loomis taking silver and Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) bronze.

Bryan Fletcher © Tom Kelly

Bryan Fletcher took the lead in the large hill jump Saturday morning, building a 26-second lead over Loomis. Brother Taylor Fletcher was 1:04 back. Loomis posted a strong cross country time – fastest of the day – but was unable to fully close the gap, finishing five seconds back. Taylor Fletcher had the second-fastest cross country time to end up 47 seconds behind his brother.

Adam Loomis © Tom Kelly

“I went out with a 26 second lead, but knew it wasn’t going to be an easy race,” said Bryan Fletcher. “I had to ski smart and have enough for the finish.”

The course at Soldier Hollow followed many of the 2002 Olympic trails. “The course is not easy by any means. It has lots of long, steep hills – Hermod’s is a long, sustained climb,” continued Bryan Fletcher. “To give you an idea, my max heart rate in my last two races here has been over 200.”

Fletcher and his teammates are continuing to train at the Utah Olympic Park and Soldier Hollow before heading to Europe for summer Grand Prix events.

Official Results