Nordic Combined: Americans finish sixth in Schonach team event

The German men’s nordic combined team defended their home turf today, winning the World Cup team competition in Schonach, Germany. In second was Norway with Austria in third.The German men’s nordic combined team defended their home turf today, winning the World Cup team competition in Schonach, Germany. In second was Norway with Austria in third.

The American team of Bill Demong, Johnny Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Brett Camerota finished sixth after some disappointing jumps landed them in eighth going into the cross-country event.

“It wasn’t the best day for us today. We thought we were going to have an exciting race but the jumping kind of let us down,” Nordic Combined Coach Chris Gilbertson told usskiteam.com.

The U.S. team got as close as third during Demong’s leg of the race but slipped back over the last two legs.

The athletes will stays in Schonach for an individual Gundersen on Sunday.

“Tomorrow we have to go back to basics. We need to look at the video, see how we jumped and what it is that we can improve on,” Gilbertson said. “We want to get a guy into the top 10 of the jumping round because when we do that, that’s when we get our podiums.

Four-man team events are rarely part of the World Cup. Generally, the U.S. only competes at World Championships and the Olympics. Lodwick’s return to racing earlier this season gave the U.S. a huge boost, the team now hopes to podium at the World Championships next month and the 2010 Winter Olympics. 

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2009 DKB FIS WORLD CUP NORDIC COMBINED
Schonach, Germany – Jan. 3, 2009
Nordic Combined Team 96/4x5K

1. Germany, (1/4)
2. Norway, (4/1) +19.6 seconds back
3. Austria, (2/5) +34.7
4. Finland, (3/7) +57.1
5. France, (6/3) +1:02.5
–
6. United States, (8/2) +1:21.0