US emerges as a Nordic skiing power

Feb 24, 2009, 15:53 GMT

Liberec, Czech Republic - English has taken over from Norwegian, Finnish or Russian as the number one language at the Nordic skiing world championships, thanks to a stunning US team.

Kikkan Randall's cross-country sprint silver on Tuesday was the fifth medal for the US which needed just six days in North Bohemia to match its previous haul from 46 editions over 83 years 1924-2007.

The US in the past had a gold from Nordic combined man Johnny Spillane in 2003, a 1976 silver and 1982 bronze from cross-country skier Bill Koch, a 2007 silver from Nordic combined's Bill Demong and a 1924 ski-jumping bronze from Anders Haugen.

Liberec has seen double gold from Nordic combined ace Todd Lodwick, another gold in the inaugural women's ski-jump from Lindsey Van, silver from Randall and a bronze from Demong.

The US leads the medal count with three gold one silver one bronze from Norway (2-3-1) and Italy (1-1-1) after 10 of 20 medal events.

The timing couldn't have been better one year ahead of the Olympics in Vancouver and should boost US interest into the sport which is normally almost exclusively associated with European success and gets only little exposure in the US.

'People like a breath of fresh air,' Randall told reporters after getting the first cross-country medal for an American woman.

'There is lots of excitement in the team. I went to the medal ceremony (on Friday) and heard the national anthem twice (for Van and Lodwick) and then wanted my shot at it as well,' she said.

'We decided a few years ago that we want to be the best in the world. We have worked hard for 10 years. It has been a long process and we have steadily become better. It (the success) pays great rewards for all the hard work.'

US Nordic ski team director John Farra was also delighted after the latest medal.

'This is fantastic. It is so important to us and a validation of our work,' he told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. 'I hope we can keep stealing medals from the others.'

Farra said he hoped the US ski team bosses will take notice of the medal haul after in the past most of the silverware came from alpine and freestyle skiers.

Farra expressed his hope for a higher budget in the future and for more attention in general heading towards to Olympics in North America, always the biggest stage for US skiers who want to make a name for themselves and find sponsors in the country.

'The success gives us pressure. But it also shows us that we can win,' Farra said.

Randall said: 'I hope that everybody back home is watching to see what is possible, and gets behind the team going to the Olympics next year.'

In Liberec, meanwhile, there could be even more to come, in the Nordic combined large hill event from Lodwick and Demong and in the team event as well.

'When you're on fire you hope to stay on fire,' said Lodwick, who came out of retirement to fulfil his big-championship medal dreams.