Amidst my frenzy of blogging about the cross-country skiing World Cup, I haven't mentioned America's most successful nordic skier: Bill Demong, who is, as they say, "killing it" in an even more obscure sport, nordic combined.
NC mixes two rather technically opposite disciplines: ski jumping and XC skiing. Typically, the longer the jump, the more head start (or other kind of time-or-distance advantage) you get in the race. The thing is, though, the kind of person who can jump a long way (skinny, short) isn't the kind of person who can ski fast (taller, more muscular). But Demong is among the fastest skiers, and as such has made it onto the podium five times this season (one bronze, three silvers, and a gold). Just about two-thirds of the way through the season, Demong ranks second in the nordic combined World Cup standings, within striking distance of leader Ronny Ackermann (GER). Demong does better in races longer than the 7.5km norm, and it just so happens that five of the remaining nine races are at the 10km and 15km distances. Odds are good, in other words, that Demong - who won a silver in the long race at last year's World Championships - might win the overall.