February 04, 2013 (Krasnaya Polyana, Russia) – The FIS Nordic Combined World Cup wrapped up Sunday as the final test of the RusSki Gorki jumping complex prior to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. The USA was seventh in the 4x5k team event with Germany taking the win. Skiing second, Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) posted the fastest cross country time on his leg. The U.S. Ski Team will skip next weekend’s World Cup in Kazhakstan to prepare for the upcoming World Championships.

Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) had the fastest second leg of the 4x5k team event as the USA finished seventh behind Germany.

The U.S was eighth in the jump with Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) getting the long ride at 128.5. The USA started 55 seconds behind Germany in cross country.

Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) led off moving up a spot to seventh, with brother Taylor then bumping it up to fifth. Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) ran third with Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) anchoring the relay to seventh.

It was the final test for nordic combined on the RusSki Gorki complex where both the jumping and cross country shared the same venue. Athletes skied a serpentine course through the outrun of the jump and out onto a cross country trail network built into the hillside.

After days of clouds and heavy snow at times, the sun broke through for a clear sky day in Krasnaya Polyana, 45 minutes outside Sochi.

The U.S. Ski Team will take a break from the World Cup to prepare for the upcoming World Championships.

QUOTES
Billy Demong:
Team USA stepped up its game today. We were right in the hunt with about eight other teams that were very very close together throughout the whole race. We were close enough to know how close we really are. In our Worlds preparation, that’s really important and obviously also for next year’s Olympics. Today the weather broke. We were under bright sunny skies. The jumps are situated within a magnificent mountain backdrop. We are starting to see the venue and the valley take shape where next year I think Sochi will not only be ready for the Olympic Games but also will have put on the final window dressing on and made it to a point where the world will get a snapshot of Russia that will define what a lot of people think about Russia for the coming years.

What I took away from the weekend was that the most important things for me were not only getting comfortable with this place, but also with the competition venues and mostly where I am and where I need to be a year from now.

Results HERE.

January 14, 2013 (Chaux-Neuve, France) – Brothers Bryan and Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) paired up to finish seventh in a FIS Nordic Combined World Cup team sprint in Chaux-Neuve. The brothers jumped to 13th and slowly moved up through the pack for the top 10 finish. The World Cup now heads to Seefeld, Austria for a pair of events next weekend.

Germany’s Eric Frenzel and Tino Edelmann won the contest by 1.4 seconds over their closest rivals, Team Norway. The hometown favorite French team was third.

Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) and Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO) were 13th.

QUOTES
Bryan Fletcher
Today was a fun day. Personally I was a little disappointed with my jumping today, however I was pumped with Taylor’s performance both on the jump hill and in the cross country. I have not felt that great in cross country throughout the weekend however today I was able to hang tough and keep us moving up throughout the second half of the race. I am really proud of Taylor and his performance lately. He is really starting to step it up and he is without a doubt one of the strongest guys on the cross country course day in and day out.

Personally it’s very fun to race with my brother and I hope to do it more often. This is the second time this season we have been a team together and both times I think we have surprised ourselves with what we are capable of even if we don’t have a perfect day.

Taylor Fletcher
It was a pretty decent day for both of us. I had a pretty solid jump and a pretty good race as well. Bryan had a great race and hung though when the speed was turned up. We moved up about as far as we really could! The top jumpers really showed themselves today which put some time between packs. Racing with Bryan is a lot of fun. We keep improving with each race and hope to get a podium before the end of the year.

Full results HERE.

October 22, 2012 – Taylor Fletcher was recently named to the 2013 U.S. Nordic Combined A-Team. Like brother Bryan, Taylor keeps improving every year. After a strong 2011 season, Taylor stepped it up again in 2012 with six Continental Cup podiums in seven races, multiple points-scoring World Cups and a career best 14th on the 2013 World Championships course in Italy. Taylor was named the 2013 U.S. Nordic Combined A-Team not the B-team as initially received from USSA. The updated team notice is here. -ed.

Already known as one of the strongest cross country skiers on the Team, Taylor continued to improve his jumping in 2012. His pathway to the Team came after two seasons of solid finishes at the U.S. Championships, and a top 15 finish at World Juniors, joining brother Bryan on the Team and then earning a spot on the 2010 Olympic Team where he competed in both nordic combined and ski jumping.

Name: Taylor William Fletcher

Sport: Nordic combined

Hometown: Steamboat Springs, CO

Current Location: Park City, Utah

School: Westminster College

How/when did you decide you wanted to compete:?
Taylor Fletcher: When I was born, it was the sport to do in my hometown. I felt like I was pretty good at it, and things are getting there!

Biggest accomplishment in your career so far?
TF: Being a part of the Olympic team and World Championship team.

Goals for next season?
TF: Medals at world championships and World Cup podiums.

Favorite snow destination?
TF: Oslo, Norway is the birthplace of my sport! People really care for it there!

Favorite non-snow destination?
TF: Courchevel, France. Amazing biking and fun jump hills, and tasty cheese!

If you weren’t a professional athlete what would you be?
TF: Hard to say! Most likely a student!

Time you’ve been most scared in your life?
TF: Hard to say, I do get scared easy, but nothing stands out. I was the most nervous when I competed in the Vancouver Olympics!

What you do you when you are not training or competing?
TF: I am mostly sleeping to recover from training and competitions, But hanging out with friends is good time!

Biggest vice?
TF: Probably eating! That or sleeping.

Biggest pet peeve?
TF: Loud eating! I can’t stand it, please chew with your mouth closed!

Advice to others who want to follow in your footsteps?
TF: Give it a try. If you like it do the work, things will pay off and you’ll have a great time!

January 10, 2012 (Oberstdorf, Germany) – Heavy snowfall and wind during the jumping event and strong snowfall during the cross-country race made for challenging conditions in Oberstdorf at the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup, but the four-man US team comprised of Taylor Fletcher, Johnny Spillane, Bryan Fletcher (all Steamboat Springs, CO) and Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) moved up three spots after jumping to eighth to finish fifth overall in the team event in Oberstdorf.

Bryan Fletcher laid down another strong cross country performance skiing the second fastest leg in his round. Team Norway ultimately took the win after making up one spot after the jumps.

“Today was an OK day. It was hard on the jump with the changing wind – same old story. There was a massive snow storm during the race which made ski selection difficult. The service guys did a great job anyway. We’re looking forward to tomorrow,” said Dave Jarrett, USSA Nordic Combined Head Coach.

In the individual Gundersen on Day 2, the U.S. Ski Team’s Demong and Spillane punched into the top-15 with 14th and 15th respectively, while teammate Fletcher was 16th. Norway’s Mikko Kokslien took the win.

Spillane had the best jump for the U.S. with 20th and started the race one minute 23 seconds back, just in front of Demong and Fletcher. Fletcher skied the eighth fastest cross-country time, which was the fastest out of the Americans.

“It was a good day today. All three were close to getting the lead pack but just couldn’t close the gap all the way. Jumping was better for Billy and Johnny. Bryan had an awesome trial jump and wanted just a little more in the comp and got a little less. He is solid, though. Good skiing from everyone. Looking forward to Chaux Neuve,” said Jarrett.

Fellow US teammates Nick Hendrickson (Park City, UT) and Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) did not start after finishing out of the top 50 in the provisional competition round jump.

The weekend competitions were originally scheduled in Schonach, but forced to move earlier this week due to adverse conditions. The World Cup now moves to Chaux-Neuve, France Jan. 14-15 for a pair of large hill individual Gundersen events.

Day 1 Results HERE.
Day 2 Results HERE.

January 25, 2011 (Park City, Utah) – Olympic medalists and World Champions Johnny Spillane (Steamboat Springs, CO), Billy Demong (Vermontville, NY) and Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) will lead the decorated U.S. Nordic Combined World Championship Team to Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway for the Jan. 26 – Mar. 4 Championships. The Team, whose members have achieved four World Championship titles plus one team and three individual Olympic medals, was announced Monday after athletes qualified through World Cup and Continental Cup competition.

Joining the three medalists on the Team are World Championship newcomers including Olympian Taylor Fletcher, (Steamboat Springs, CO), Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Nick Hendrickson (Park City, UT).

“The Team is going to be a mix of veterans and newcomers,” said Head Coach Dave Jarrett. “We are looking forward to Oslo with the nordic atmosphere, crowds and the chance to perform on a big stage. We will prepare the best we know how and do everything we can to win medals.”

The U.S. athletes have treated the World Cup season as a buildup towards the World Championships with each of the three medalists competing on reduced schedules. Lodwick has the best U.S. result with a fourth in Austria earlier this month. Spillane, who suffered a knee injury last summer, made his comeback just a week ago. Demong took a month off in anticipation of the birth of his baby boy. Both Demong and Spillane have had strong cross country performances in their returns and will be drawing a big focus on jump training heading into the Championships.

In 2009, Lodwick and Demong racked in the World Championship titles, with Demong clinching the large hill and Lodwick topping the Gundersen and mass start normal hill events. After an historic 2010 the USA crew is ready to sport the new Bjorn Daehlie black uniforms in Oslo as they head to the heart of nordic skiing. In Vancouver, 2003 World Champion Spillane earned three silver medals, Demong took home a gold and silver and Lodwick led the USA to silver in the team event.

Adding to the success and depth of the 2011 Team are the Fletcher brothers and Hendrickson. Both Fletchers are heading into World Champs strong posting top 30 results on the World Cup stage. Hendrickson is coming in with momentum as well after having successful races on the Continental Cup tour.

“Bryan Fletcher has had the best season of anyone on the Team this year,” said Jarrett. “We are looking forward to seeing his progression continue in Oslo and Taylor Fletcher is coming on strong.”

The powerhouse six-man team will begin its four World Championship events Saturday, Feb. 26 with the normal hill competition. The 2011 schedule was changed from 2009 when the mass start event (won by Lodwick) was added to the program. It has since been eliminated with a second team event being added, with one each on the normal and large hills.

The Team will be training on the Olympic venues in Utah over the next three weeks before heading to a pre-Worlds camp in the Olympic village of Lillehammer, Norway.

2011 World Nordic Combined Ski Championship Team
– Billy Demong, Vermontville, NY (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
– Bryan Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
– Taylor Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
– Nick Hendrickson, Park City, UT (Park City Nordic Ski Club)
– Todd Lodwick, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)
– Johnny Spillane, Steamboat Springs, CO (Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club)

2011 World Nordic Combined Ski Championships Schedule – Oslo, Norway
– Sat., Feb. 26 – Normal hill
– Mon., Feb. 28 – Normal hill team event
– Wed., Mar. 2 – Large hill
– Fri., Mar. 4 – Large hill team event

December 18, 2010 (Ramsau, Austria) – The U.S. Ski Team’s Todd Lodwick (Steamboat Springs, CO) came back to the World Cup in style Saturday, finishing fourth and missing the podium by a tenth. Austria’s Mario Stecher picked up the win. It marked a return to the World Cup for the Olympic silver medalist, who took off for the opening two weekends to train at home. Two weeks ago he swept a pair of Continental Cups in Steamboat Springs. Bjoern Kircheisen (GER) and Johannes Rydzek (GER) finished second and third in today’s competition.

Lodwick, who had been fourth in the jump and started 16 seconds back. He moved up quickly and battled for a podium spot the entire race, before losing out in a sprint with German Johannes Rydzek for third, 15.5 seconds behind Stecher. German Bjoern Kircheisen was second, just nine-tenths from the win.

Lodwick was part of a large pack that went head to head much of the race and was in a strong position going into the final kilometer, passing World Cup leader Jason Lamy Chappuis of France, who finished fifth. But he was not able to hold off the hard charging Rydzek.

Lodwick’s teammate Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) had another good race finishing, taking 23rd for his third points scoring finish of the season. Lodwick and company will be at it again Sunday with the final pre-holiday competition in Ramsau.

Individual Normal Hill/10k

Full results HERE.

1. Mario Stecher (AUT) 25:46.40
2. Bjoern Kircheisen (GER) 25:47.30
3. Johannes Rydzek (GER) 26:01.90
4. Todd Lodwick (USA) 26:02.00
5. Jason Lam Chappulis (FRA) 26:03.20

23. Bryan Fletcher (USA) 27:06.90
42. Taylor Fletcher (USA) 28:43.10
47. Nick Henderson (USA) 29:30.30
59. Eric Camerota (USA) 31:31.80