In the Large Hill Special Jump (Link Removed) Andreas Keuttel put it together to win his first comp in 2 years. Remarkable in this is the fact that he has been spending much of his time coaching teammate Simon Amman and that the two of them are their team.
This is quite in contrast to the powerhouse Austrian team who, as noted, were suprisingly left out of this events podium (they made up for this on Saturday winning the Team Competition). The swiss don't even hae enough skiers to field a team (they should have gotten together with the American Duo of Johnson and Fairall).
Lets tip our Hats by the way to Anders Johnson. He not only qualified top 50 for this event, but had his best finish - to my knowledge - to date on this level of competition, coming in 40th with a respectable jump of 114 meters! Anders and Nick Fairall (see my earlier post about Nick - Ski Flying) are part of the Project X ski jump development effort that is through shear force of will power bringing the US back into the international ski jumping arena in the mens category (fuller discussion USST's abandonment will follow in a later post).
Add this to the emergence from retirement of Todd Lodwick and the story is this. At some point it becomes the skier and not the coach who makes the magic happen. It is hard to say when and where this happens (perhaps from the start), but in these events normally, the effectiveness of the program makes much of the results happen. This effectiveness, of course, needs to transfer to the individuals confidence and abilities, and as they mature, like good wine, they are able to bring this from themselves as Keuttel and Lodwick have so amply demonstrated.
Athleticism needs to be nurtured and in the end, it stands on its own in full glory.
Congratulations to Keutel and all the skiers who participated in this years Nordic World Championships. This will be a year to be remembered for many years to come -- much for me because it has been the first that I have been able to see, on a regular basis, through the great work of the FIS and NBC Univeresal Sports in putting it out on the web.
I do hope that they don't start "geographically" restricting the ability to watch this through national licensing arrangements -- this is what (in the TV Only world) has made Nordic Skiing languish for so many years in North America.
Work this one out FIS! The sport depends upon it.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Austrian 4 Some is Fearsome in Liberec
The Austrian Special Jumping Team, who can be seen Here
are seemingly unstoppable. Hats off to them and the tremendous program that Toni Innauer has put together.
To talk about why's and hows I would reach back 30 years to the era where they really burst on to the scene in Toni Innauers time and the Austrian program was doing everything that had not been done before. Early plastic hills, skiing at high elevations very early in the fall, speed training on the glaciers in the summers, developing the first (later made illegal) air suits, building skis in 2 of the best factories, and most importantly, building a national development program that remains tremendously effective 35 years later.
The Austrian program is much about the "Ski Gymnasium" (Similar to an American Boarding School)in Stamms Tirol, but it is also about the feeder program that gets kids there. To my understanding there are regional coaches who are out with the clubs helping to identify and invite promising kids when they are 12 and 13 years old.
Much like the Gymnastics world, Ski Jumping is a sport where teenagers need to be in break through mode if they are going to be competitive by at 16, 17 and 18 years old. This is likely difficult on "family life" and more normalized upbringing, but Austria is a small enough place that kids can get home for weekends and parents like wise can visit often.
But this is not just about school. It is also about having an effective training an sports development program - that clearly, in Jumping and Alpine Racing, the Austrians are very good at. Time on skis, time in the gym, time learing the art is as important as developing the craft, and Stamms has the ability to impart this knowledge and skills in a consistent and powerful way.
It probably also doesn't hurt that those who make it through the gauntlet become nationally and internationally known names.
This is the part of the equation that we need to put together with the effective Nordic Combined Program in Steamboat, as well as with the programs Lake Placid and Park City. Hats off the the US Nordic Combined Program! 3 Gold Medals is remarkable! We won't forget this effort!
Go Billy, Todd, Johnny and Eric, and congrats to the coaching team led by Dave Jarrett!
Lets step up our development efforts in Jumping now as well. We are not a true skiing powerhouse unless we can be competitive in all disciplines. And as noted above, competitiveness demands development and I don't know anyone opposed to that!
are seemingly unstoppable. Hats off to them and the tremendous program that Toni Innauer has put together.
To talk about why's and hows I would reach back 30 years to the era where they really burst on to the scene in Toni Innauers time and the Austrian program was doing everything that had not been done before. Early plastic hills, skiing at high elevations very early in the fall, speed training on the glaciers in the summers, developing the first (later made illegal) air suits, building skis in 2 of the best factories, and most importantly, building a national development program that remains tremendously effective 35 years later.
The Austrian program is much about the "Ski Gymnasium" (Similar to an American Boarding School)in Stamms Tirol, but it is also about the feeder program that gets kids there. To my understanding there are regional coaches who are out with the clubs helping to identify and invite promising kids when they are 12 and 13 years old.
Much like the Gymnastics world, Ski Jumping is a sport where teenagers need to be in break through mode if they are going to be competitive by at 16, 17 and 18 years old. This is likely difficult on "family life" and more normalized upbringing, but Austria is a small enough place that kids can get home for weekends and parents like wise can visit often.
But this is not just about school. It is also about having an effective training an sports development program - that clearly, in Jumping and Alpine Racing, the Austrians are very good at. Time on skis, time in the gym, time learing the art is as important as developing the craft, and Stamms has the ability to impart this knowledge and skills in a consistent and powerful way.
It probably also doesn't hurt that those who make it through the gauntlet become nationally and internationally known names.
This is the part of the equation that we need to put together with the effective Nordic Combined Program in Steamboat, as well as with the programs Lake Placid and Park City. Hats off the the US Nordic Combined Program! 3 Gold Medals is remarkable! We won't forget this effort!
Go Billy, Todd, Johnny and Eric, and congrats to the coaching team led by Dave Jarrett!
Lets step up our development efforts in Jumping now as well. We are not a true skiing powerhouse unless we can be competitive in all disciplines. And as noted above, competitiveness demands development and I don't know anyone opposed to that!
Bill Demong gets it DONE!
What a commanding race! Bill Demong showed his mettle today by putting down a supreme performance in the XC final component of the large hill Nordic Combined event at the World Championships in Liberec Czech.
Watch the whole Race Here, (you can't get this type of coverage on TV!)
You can watch the full race and understand the incredible amount of effort and strategy that he put together to make this work.
Read the details on the attached link but most of all, watch this in full screen mode and you will understand what a remarkable athlete he is.
Congratulations Bill, and Congratulations Team USA on an an incredible achievement - one for our team that we have never seen before.
Watch the whole Race Here, (you can't get this type of coverage on TV!)
You can watch the full race and understand the incredible amount of effort and strategy that he put together to make this work.
Read the details on the attached link but most of all, watch this in full screen mode and you will understand what a remarkable athlete he is.
Congratulations Bill, and Congratulations Team USA on an an incredible achievement - one for our team that we have never seen before.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Lindsey Van, You Go Girl!
Making us all so proud, but there is more to that. You stood up to the challenge and put it really together. All this in the very first World Championship for Women in Ski Jumping competition.
You are, I believe, the United States' first World Champion in Ski Jumping. Feb 20, 2009. Lets all try to remember this date. Todd Lodwick joined you bringing down the "Mass Start" Nordic Combined Gold Medal for the United States as well (I will get that video link in here shortly as well).
Watch the full Competition Here!
As to analysis: She skis like she means it. Quick to her in run position, solid in the track, explosive like no one else that day, and just beautifully together in the air and taking her jumps for all they were worth.
Lindsey put in a solid first jump landing in 4th place, and her second jump, something like 4 meters furhter than her closest competitor moved her all the way to the top.
The clip above is the unedited feed that went from FIS to Universal sports and it is likely to be edited and changed, but it is wonderful in it to see the galavanting after the event and more than that the beauty and poise these women present.
You go girl!
All star, that is what you are! Lets look up the Video on Todd next! That link is to the takeout of his jumps: Powerful and Poised! Great Jumps Todd. Lets find the XC mass Start Next. This is the Full XC Race (suffer through the Sprint Ads one more time)
You go Todd too!
You are, I believe, the United States' first World Champion in Ski Jumping. Feb 20, 2009. Lets all try to remember this date. Todd Lodwick joined you bringing down the "Mass Start" Nordic Combined Gold Medal for the United States as well (I will get that video link in here shortly as well).
Watch the full Competition Here!
As to analysis: She skis like she means it. Quick to her in run position, solid in the track, explosive like no one else that day, and just beautifully together in the air and taking her jumps for all they were worth.
Lindsey put in a solid first jump landing in 4th place, and her second jump, something like 4 meters furhter than her closest competitor moved her all the way to the top.
The clip above is the unedited feed that went from FIS to Universal sports and it is likely to be edited and changed, but it is wonderful in it to see the galavanting after the event and more than that the beauty and poise these women present.
You go girl!
All star, that is what you are! Lets look up the Video on Todd next! That link is to the takeout of his jumps: Powerful and Poised! Great Jumps Todd. Lets find the XC mass Start Next. This is the Full XC Race (suffer through the Sprint Ads one more time)
You go Todd too!
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