December 12, 2015 (Soldier Hollow, UT) – Austria’s David Pommer took a career first win Friday in a narrow victory over teammate Bernhard Flaschberger in a FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup event in Utah. The U.S. Ski Team’s Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) came from a minute, 20 seconds back after the jump to finish third. Austria took five of the top six places.

Taylor Fletcher © Tom Kelly

Despite the Austrian dominance, the USA took five of the top 16 spots and had six athletes in the top 30 points. Japan’s Hisaki Nagamine led after the jump with a 97.5 meter ride – longest of the day. The USA’s Ben Berend (Steamboat Springs, CO) was fourth, just 22 seconds back. Pommer tied for fifth with a 95.5 meter jump while Flaschberger was close behind in eighth, going 91.5 meters. Fletcher was a bit behind in his takeoff in the morning jump, soaring 88.5 meters to stand 14th – starting a minute, 20 seconds back.

Fletcher started out hot, making up ground on the first of five laps and finding himself in contact with Pommer and Flaschberger by mid-race in the 10k. But by the fourth lap, he started to fatigue, and had to summon his reserve energy to hold off Franz-Josef Rehrl of Austria by two seconds to claim third.

The Continental Cup continues Saturday and Sunday with jumping at the Utah Olympic Park in the morning (10:30 a.m. comp round) and 10k cross country in the afternoon at Soldier Hollow (2:00 p.m. start).

Results here.