USA ends Olympic Nordic combined drought

WHISTLER, British Columbia, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Jason Lamy Chappuis of France passed American Johnny Spillane in the final strides of a dramatic finish Sunday to win the Olympic normal hill Nordic combined.

The Nordic combined, in which the sports of ski jumping and cross-country skiing are united, has been a part of the Winter Olympics since the inception of the Games in 1924. Until Sunday, however, no American had ever won an Olympic medal in the sport.

Not only did Spillane end that drought, but three Americans finished among the top six.

Spillane was fourth in the ski jumping portion of the event early Sunday, after which the top 45 finishers headed to the cross-country course for a 10-kilometer race.

Those with the best jumps were given a head start in the cross-country race, but by the midway point of the 10-kilometer journey, a lead pack had formed and it became clear the American contingent had a great chance for at least one medal.

Spillane was joined near the front by countrymen Todd Lodwick, who came out of retirement this season, and Bill DeMong, who began the cross-country race 80 seconds behind because of a lackluster ski jump.

Lodwick led going into the last of the four 2.5-kilometer laps, but midway through that lap Norihito Kobayashi of Japan moved in front and tried to break away.

Spillane went with Kobayashi and soon passed him, eventually opening as much as a 25-meter lead. It appeared Spillane would win the gold, but Chappuis soon began to close the gap and finally passed Spillane with the finish line in sight.

Chappuis, who has five individual World Cup victories this season, crossed the line 0.40 of a second in front of Spillane. Allesandro Pittin of Italy was another 0.40 of a second back in third, followed by Lodwick, who missed a medal by three-quarters of a second.

DeMong wound up sixth.