Demong, Spillane gold, silver in Nordic combined

WHISTLER, B.C. -- America's Bill Demong saw his childhood dream of winning an Olympics come true at Whistler Olympic Park today, winning the 10K large hill individual event going away with a powerful finish surge that separated him from teammate Johnny Spillane and Austria's Bernhard Gruber.

It was the first gold medal ever for the United States in a nordic sport.

Spillane captured the silver, his second of the Games, in an historic Olympics for the U.S. nordic combined team, which had never won an Olympic medal before these Games.

The U.S. team took the silver in the team relay on Tuesday. Spillane wontook silver in the individual normal hill 10k competition last week.

Demong, who entered the staggered-start, 10K race with bib 6 after this morning's jumping round, quickly moved up and skied with teammate Spillane, who had started second. Together, they quickly tracked down Austria's Gruber, the leader after the jump round.

They passed the Austrian on the second lap, and the three racers went stride for stride over the last 6 kilometers of the hilly, curvy course in the Callaghan Valley.

On the third lap of 2.5K, Demong and Spillane passed Gruber, who stuck with them as the chase group of other skiers faded farther and farther back. At the 7.5K mark, it was Demong, Spillane and Gruber alone on a medal chase for a final lap.

Halfway through that lap, at a sharp hilltop corner, Spillane stumbled and fell, quickly returning to his feet and catching the other two again.

The final portion of the course is a long, steady climb before a sharp drop into the arena area. Spillane passed Gruber on the climb. And near the top of that hill, Demong, of Vermontville, N.Y., burst into another gear, shooting to a lead of about 5 seconds over Spillane as the trio entered the stadium. From there, Demong never faltered, sprinting at top speed to the finish line.

He won the race going away.

At the finish, Demong, he looked back, saw clear snow, and raised both arms triumphantly into the air. Close behind was Spillane, who cruised in for second place.

The U.S., which had never medaled in nordic combined, will leave Vancouver with four medals -- one in all three nordic combined events.

America's Todd Lodwick finished 13th.