June 12, 2018 (Minneapolis, Minn.) – USA Nordic announced today that Mayo Clinic is its new official medical provider, a collaboration aimed at helping team athletes perform at the peak of their athleticism.

Mayo Clinic will provide medical services, physiological testing, performance training and nutrition education to USA Nordic athletes and staff. USA Nordic athletes compete in ski jumping and Nordic combined events.

“The professionals at Mayo Clinic work with high-performance athletes and teams aiming for success and we are ecstatic to add their cutting-edge services to help our athletes become their absolute best,” says Bill Demong, an Olympic gold medalist and executive director of USA Nordic. “One of the most important shared goals is to provide training, education and innovative testing to our athletes. This allows them to be healthy — mentally and physically — throughout long, demanding seasons while competing internationally in a weight-restricted sport.”

USA Nordic, the national leadership organization for ski jumping and Nordic combined, will use the testing, training and education opportunities as a platform to prepare the elite teams. The organization will also share an enhanced, long-term athlete development model with more than 30 clubs nationwide.

“It’s exactly the kind of access we’ve hoped to have to bring together all aspects of our training and competing,” says Kevin Bickner, an Olympic and American record holder for the longest ski jump. “Blending our skills with the knowledge and caring that Mayo Clinic brings is truly the best of both worlds.”

Mayo Clinic is a leader in sports and musculoskeletal injury prevention and rehabilitation, concussion research, diagnostic and interventional ultrasound, and surgical and nonsurgical management of sports-related injuries. The training will take place at Mayo Clinic’s newly expanded sports medicine facility in Minneapolis.

“We are excited to be collaborating with USA Nordic,” says Jonathan Finnoff, D.O., head team physician for USA Nordic combined and medical director of Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine at Mayo Clinic Square in Minneapolis. “We look forward to helping USA Nordic athletes reach their athletic potential and make an impact on the world stage.”

Interest in ski jumping and Nordic combined isn’t limited to elite athletes. The sports have enjoyed growth in participation as young athletes seek out meaningful experiences that the whole family can enjoy.