January 22, 2014 Park City, Utah – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced the nomination of seven ski jumping athletes Wednesday afternoon during a press conference at Utah Olympic Park, the site of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Ski Jumping. The 2014 Olympic Winter Games mark the first time women’s ski jumping will be contested at the Olympic level.

The 2014 U.S. Olympic team in ski jumping, including the first-ever women's team, was nominated today. © Sarah Brunson/U.S. Ski Team

World Champions Lindsey Van, who played a pivotal role in getting the sport into the Olympic Winter Games for women, and Sarah Hendrickson, who was selected after a promising return to snow following a knee injury, will be a part of the first-ever women’s ski jumping team at the Games along with Olympic Trials winner Jessica Jerome.

Men’s Olympic Trials winner Nick Fairall will headline the team along with three teammates who have previously competed at the Games. The formal naming of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team by the United States Olympic Committee is set for Jan. 27.

Jerome and Fairall earned their nominations after winning 2014 U.S. Olympic Trials Dec. 29 at Utah Olympic Park. Athletes were selected based on World Cup results over a set Olympic qualification period.

“Today marks an historic occasion. This is a stepping stone along what has been a long journey to include women’s ski jumping in the Games. These women have raised the level of athleticism in the sport and because of this, grown their sport to the Olympic level,” said Luke Bodensteiner, Executive Vice President, Athletics, USSA.

“Sarah has distinguished herself over the past three seasons as one of the world’s top competitors. Her accident in August prevented her from competing in the World Cup, but her subsequent rehab was effective, she’s maintained a high level of fitness and her return to the jumping hill has shown us that she’s ready to compete at the top end of her sport,” he added.

The women’s team is led by men’s coach Clint Jones and women’s coaches Alan Alborn and Erik Renmaelmo. The U.S. Olympic Committee will formally name the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team on January 27.

“This inaugural Olympic women’s ski jumping team has already inspired so many people around the world and will continue to do so for years to come. They are strong athletes and strong individuals because of the challenges and hardships they have faced both in the sport and outside of it. They have built this path to the Olympic Games brick-by-brick and they have done most of the heavy lifting,” commented Alan Alborn, Women’s Ski Jumping Head Coach.

“This inaugural event is more than just three medals at an Olympic Winter Games. It is historic and a legacy that we hope will inspire more young women to engage in sport and have it be part of their lives and their family’s lives,” he concluded.

Clint Jones, Men’s Ski Jumping Head Coach was also on hand commenting, “There is a solid amount of experience on this team considering how young they are. The oldest team member, Nick Alexander, is only 24. However, I feel that we still haven’t seen the best jumps from any of our young team members, and I am looking forward to seeing them step up their game in Sochi and in the years to come.”

All nominations are subject to approval by the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Teleconference

2014 Olympic Ski Jumping Nominations

Men’s Ski Jumping
– Nick Alexander, Lebanon, NH (8/24/1988) *
– Nick Fairall, Andover, NH (7/6/1989)
– Peter Frenette, Saranac Lake, NY (2/24/1992) *
– Anders Johnson, Park City, UT (4/23/1989) *

Women’s Ski Jumping
– Sarah Hendrickson, Park City, UT (8/1/1994)
– Jessica Jerome, Park City, UT (2/8/1987)
– Lindsey Van, Park City, UT (11/27/1984)

* Competed in past Olympics

Official competition uniform: Bjorn Daehlie

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