Olympic Nordic Combined

Germany's Eric Frenzel more than lived up to the hype at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi on Wednesday, taking home gold in the nordic combined men's individual normal hill competition.

CBC reporter Douglas Gelevan was there to capture Frenzel's triumph:

Japanese skier Akito Watabe had several chances to secure the top spot on the podium, but was unable to pull away, instead settling for silver. Norway's Magnus Krog fought off a hungry pack of skiers late to wrap up bronze add to the Norwegian's impressive overall medal count.

Here's a look at the final results from the Mountain Cluster:

*Click here to view complete results courtesy of Sochi2014.com.

Frenzel, who was the favorite to take home gold coming in, led after the ski jumping round, earning 131.5 points and taking a six-second advantage into the cross country section. Watabe and Russia's Evgeniy Klimov were second and third, respectively, following the ski jump.

None of the four competing Americans were higher than 31st after the ski jump, with veteran Bill Demong representing Team USA's top performer through the first stage.

Olympic silver medalist Todd Lodwick was 34th, Bryan Fletcher was 41st and Taylor Fletcher was anchored in the 46th and final spot. The 37-year-old and six-time Olympian Lodwick would wind up in last place after not participating in the cross country.

In the cross country stage, Frenzel and Watabe were clearly the two men to beat as they took turns taking the lead on one another, per NBC Olympics web producer Greg Ferraro on Twitter:

The two skiers would exchange the lead several times down the stretch, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. With the rest of the field falling more than 13 seconds off the pace at the 7.5-kilometer mark, the bronze medal was seemingly up for grabs.

In the end, the man many predicted to win gold did just that, as the 25-year-old Frenzel earned his first Olympic gold medal and put a stamp on what's sure to be a bright future in the sport.

While all eyes were on Frenzel and Watabe in the late stages, Team USA's best hope, Demong was making up ground. He would finish 24th, nearly two minutes off Frenzel's gold-medal-winning pace.

The result is certainly a tough pill to swallow for the 33-year-old Demong, who told reporters ahead of Wednesday's event that this would more than likely be his last shot at Olympic hardware, per The Watertown Daily Times:

It was really final that I was done after this. I’m entertaining hitting a few events next year to get ready for the team event at the World Cup, but I’ve got a few things going on at home. Unless I’m here in a different sport or capacity in four years’ time, it’s totally off the table.

But Demong, who won gold and silver in Vancouver four years ago, was wary of the course conditions prior to Day 5's medal run, per The Watertown Daily Times:

It’s not even slushy. It’s mushy, and it’s very hard to ski on. There’s no structure to the snow, and the person who can float the best wins. The tempo will not be the same as the normal snow conditions, and it will be very tough. The race will separate people. I felt pretty bad when I did my intensity yesterday, but I could do my jumps here today and felt fine.

The weather cooperated for Demong and his fellow competitors on Wednesday, though, as sunshine filled the sky with 52F temperatures at the start of the cross country stage.

While Team USA will still be disappointed with their overall performance in this event, there's definitely no doubting what Frenzel was able to accomplish. Not only did he wow in the ski jump, but he displayed tremendous poise in the cross country section.

Based on his performance, he's certainly a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

The 25-year-old Watabe's impressive display also highlights the immense young talent in the sport. With both men likely to be going at it again in 2018, the significance of Wednesday's result can't be overstated. 

While Watabe's landmark result suggests a promising future,securing Japan's first nordic combined medal since 1994, Frenzel now has the confidence to fend off the world's best on the biggest stage.

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter. 

Versatility is the best quality for an athlete in Nordic combined. The athletes who medal in this event will be among the most elite in the entire Winter Olympics.

The ski jump turns into the cross country as they vie for a gold medal. Here's the schedule and television info for the events.

Click here for the local TV listings in you area. All events will be live streamed from NBC Olympics Extra. Here's a look at the Olympic medal count up to the moment.

Stars to Watch

Eric Frenzel

The German is the favorite to win the gold medal. 

He was part of the national team that won bronze in the team event in the 2010 Vancouver Games. Since then, Frenzel has won two World Championship medals. In the World Cup, Frenzel has accumulated more than 300 points, so he's coming into Olympic competition as a top performer.

The 25-year-old has his head on straight and is extremely focused. Per Europe Online Magazine, Frenzel said this prior to the Olympics:

You have to accept this role. The situation is not to my disadvantage. I am not overwhelmed as long as I don‘t create any problems for myself.

You can not compete feeling too sure. You need a certain amount of confidence and that‘s what I gained. But I won‘t just happen. You must make sure that everything comes together on the day. If that is the case a lot can happen.

 If he does avoid mishaps, Frenzel should coast to a gold medal in Sochi.

Billy DeMong

The greatest American hope for a medal is DeMong. At Vancouver, he became the first American athlete to win gold in Nordic combined, taking the large-hill event. As a 34-year-old, this could very well be his last Olympic Games.

As Courtney Lewis of the Press Republican reports, DeMong could have rested on his accomplishments in Vancouver, but he wanted more. Lewis writes:

DeMong could have hung ‘em up after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, walking away as the first American to win Olympic gold in Nordic combined.

But the sport still has a strong pull on him, and he stayed for the Sochi Games, helping groom the next generation and further his legacy along the way.

DeMong is easy to root for, and most Americans will be doing just that on Wednesday.

Team Medal Prediction

On the strength of a leading and winning performance from Frenzel, the Germans will take the gold medal. Tino Edelmann, Johannes Rydzek offer depth behind Frenzel that makes the Germans the strongest overall squad.

Japan's Akito Wanabe is a major threat to Frenzel in the individual event, and his presence will go along way toward making his national team formidable in the competition. The Japanese will place second.

The United States led by Demong should still be able to medal, despite Demong likely falling short of an individual medal. A bronze team medal would be a nice parting prize for the veteran athlete.

The top United States Nordic combined athletes will compete for spots on the U.S. Olympic team this Saturday at Utah Olympic Park, the site of the 2002 Winter Games.  

For the uninitiated, Nordic combined events include a ski jumping competition (one jump) and a 10 kilometer cross-country ski race.  For the U.S. trials, the winner of each event receives an automatic nomination for the team, with the rest of the squad selected from existing World Cup and Continental Cup events.  The full Nordic combined squad will be announced on January 22.  Full event info is below:

NBC will air a recap of the event on Sunday at 1:30 PM ET in conjunction with its live coverage of ski jumping.  Viewers can also watch the Nordic combined events live on NBC Sports Live Extra.

The American team dominated the Vancouver games in this event, winning four of the 10 total medals in the event.  Billy Demong, who won gold in the 2010 individual large hill competition, headlines a strong U.S. squad determined to reinforce its newfound status as a world power in the sport.  As TeamUSA.org illustrates, the medals were the payoff after years of building the foundation:

The American performance in Vancouver was a rout. The U.S. team medaled in all three Nordic combined events — normal hill, large hill and the team relay — and took 44 percent of the Olympic medals on offer in Vancouver. The Scandinavian countries, where Nordic combined is practically a national sport, came up empty. It was as if a Norwegian baseball team had beaten the Yankees in the World Series.

But it was no fluke. The four medals won by Demong, Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Brett Camerota were a goal toward which the U.S. team had steadily worked for over 15 years. They were a deserved reward in a sport where financial gain is not a driving force, at least not in this country.

In addition to Demong, the U.S. boasts impressive depth behind the reigning champion.  Former world champion Todd Lodwick, at age 36, is aiming for his sixth Olympic games.  Lodwick helped the U.S. earn a silver in the team event, and he also helped the Americans win bronze in the World Cup this past January.

In addition, the Fletcher brothers, Bryan, 26, and Taylor, 23, figure to have a place on the roster.  The Fletchers are among the strongest skiers are on the roster, and older brother Bryan is coming off a victory in the Holmenkollen World Cup, the de facto Super Bowl of Nordic combined.  Taylor made the 2010 squad and has supplanted Demong as the fastest American cross-country skier.

One name who will not be joining the team is Johnny Spillane, the silver medalist behind Demong in the large hill event.  Spillane suffered numerous injuries after Vancouver and retired this past April.  Team coach Dave Jarrett says there is no one who can truly replace Spillane:

Coach Jarrett said Spillane’s retirement leaves “a huge hole in the roster."

“He’s a world champion and a three-time Olympic medalist,” said the coach. “We don’t have somebody waiting in the wings who has those same palmares."

“We would have more matches to burn if Johnny was around,” Jarrett added. “But that doesn’t mean that some of these younger guys couldn’t step in and be the next Johnny."

Nevertheless, Spillane and the 2010 team laid the groundwork for American Nordic combined, carving out an international presence in a sport long-dominated by the Scandinavian countries.  Now the question is whether the U.S. can stay at the top with a bullseye on its back, something the team will begin to answer this weekend.

The United States enjoyed great success in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games by bringing home four medals in the Nordic Combined event. The bar has been raised heading into the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and the winner of Saturday's Nordic Combined trial in Park City, Utah, will represent the U.S.

While Billy Demong will still be on the American Olympic squad this time around, three-time 2010 silver medal winner Johnny Spillane retired from Nordic Combined earlier this year. Unlike other Olympic skiing events, however, Nordic Combined does not feature a women's competition.

Here's an outlook of this weekend's Nordic Combined trial, which is being held in conjunction with the U.S. men's and women's ski jumping trial in a fun-filled weekend at Park City.

What: U.S. Olympic Trials 2014 Nordic Combined

When: Saturday, Dec. 28

Where: Park City, Utah

TV Info (Tape Delay): Sunday, Dec. 29, 1:30 p.m. ET, NBC

Overview

The Nordic Combined is an event that brings together elements of ski jumping and cross-country skiing, and it's been a staple of the Olympics since the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix. A three-man team portion of the competition was introduced to the event in Calgary in 1988 and expanded to its current state of four-men teams at Nagano in 1998.

As far as the individual competition, there are two different events, with a large hill jump and a normal hill jump. The longer you soar on your jump, the bigger advantage you have when you start the 10-kilometer cross-country ski race.

Demong claimed the gold medal in Vancouver in the individual large hill event, while Spillane claimed silver in both the large hill and normal hill events.

Meanwhile, the U.S. quartet of Demong, Spillane, Todd Lodwick and Brett Camerota took silver in the team, 4 x 5-kilometer event. Demong and Lodwick are still on the U.S. Nordic Combined A team, joined by brothers Bryan and Taylor Fletcher heading into Sochi.

Saturday morning, the participants will take part in the individual competition before there is a team 4 x 2.5-kilometer trial later in the day.

Billy Demong Remains Favorite

Demong won a gold medal four years ago, and he's still recognized as the top Nordic Combined skier in the nation. According to Michael C. Lewis of The Salt Lake Tribune, Demong is "all but certain to clinch" America's automatic bid to the Olympics with a win on Saturday, while other U.S. participants can also qualify based on results of international competitions.

Last week, Demong earned a sound victory in the FIS Nordic Combined Continental Cup over Austria's Tomaz Druml. According to USSkiTeam.com, Demong had this to say following his latest victory:

I'm just going to keep building. I feel like things are falling into place with 50 days to go here. The whole team is stepping forward week by week and I feel like we are in a good place.

If Demong falters, it would be a huge upset at this point. Lodwick is a solid longtime veteran of the sport and the Fletcher brothers have become rising stars in 2013, but the 33-year-old Demong is at the top of his game right now.

Olympic hopefuls will battle for a ticket to Sochi at the U.S. Nordic Combined Trials taking place in Park City, Utah.

The sport combines cross-country skiing and ski jumping and has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1924. However, the United States contingent has never had much success in the event throughout most of the history.

This changed at the 2010 Vancouver Games, when team USA won its first four medals, including a gold by Billy Demong in the Individual Large Hill event. The group also earned a silver medal in the team competition.

To make things even more exciting, women's ski jumping will make its debut in 2014, so the trials will be the first step towards history for a number of representatives.

There is a lot on the line with only the winner of each event having an Olympic spot guaranteed, so every competitor must bring their best effort to the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. Here is a look at what else you need to know about the upcoming event.

When: Dec. 28 and 29

Where: Park City, Utah

Watch: NBC on Dec. 29 at 1:30-3 p.m. ET

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Stars to Watch

Billy Demong

As the first and only American ever to win an Olympic gold medal in Nordic combined, Billy Demong is certainly a favorite to return to the international stage.

He has already competed in four Olympic games and is looking for his fifth appearance despite being only 33 years old. Additionally, he is hoping to see his sport grow in popularity. According to the team's official site, Demong had this to say about the trials:

I'm really looking forward to having a domestic event that will showcase our sport going into the Sochi Olympics, especially having it at the home of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. It really shows longevity and legacy here in Salt Lake City and Park City for the Olympics and its legacy. Above all, I think it's going to be really exciting to have an event here in the Olympic season with a lot of guys fired up to try to make the team as well as showcase the sport on NBC.

If Demong keeps winning, it will be easy for everyone to take notice. Assuming he can earn a spot on the team, he will be one of the favorites to medal once again in Sochi.

Sarah Hendrickson

In the first-ever women's ski jumping event at the Olympics, there will be plenty of elite athletes looking to make history. However, Sarah Hendrickson is the one with the best chance of taking home the inaugural gold medal.

The 19-year-old competitor is coming off a first-place finish at the 2013 World Championships in the normal hill ski jump.

Of course, this will not be without a challenge. Hendrickson tore her ACL and MCL in August, but she still plans on returning to full health by the time the Olympics begin.

The good news is that the committee could select her to the team even if she does not finish in first place at this event, according to Nick Zaccardi of NBC Sports. 

With as much talent as Hendrickson has, she deserves a chance to compete for a medal at the 2014 Olympics.

Bryan Fletcher

Although Bryan Fletcher did not get the finish he was hoping for at the World Championships, he still finished among the top 10 in the season-long World Cup and has been a part of a bronze-medal-winning team.

As one of the fastest-rising competitors in the sport, he and his brother Taylor will almost certainly find a way to earn spots on the Olympic team.

Additionally, Dana Greene of 4Utah.com revealed that Fletcher survived a battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia as a kid and now works with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

His story of determination is exactly what the Olympics are all about, and he will look to keep achieving big things on his way to Sochi in February. 

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.