American nordic skiing has a short list of great days, including Bill Koch‘s silver medal in the 30km at the 1976 Olympics, Koch’s World Cup title in 1980, Kris Freeman taking fourth place in the 15km classic-style race and Johnny Spillane winning a nordic combined gold at the 2003 World Championships, and the recent top-three finishes in sprint races by Torin Koos (Otepaa, 2007), Andy Newell (Lahti, 2008, and Changchun, 2006), and Kikkan Randall (Rybinsk, 2007).
Today’s excellent results by Americans at the World Championship in Liberec topped everything. Lindsay Van (Utah) won the first-ever gold medal in women’s ski jumping with the day’s longest jump. Todd Lodwick (Colorado) won a gold after finishing first in both the cross-country and the ski jumping portions of the mass-start nordic combined event. And – best of all, at least given the depth of competition – Kris Freeman finished fourth, just 1.3 seconds from bronze, in the men’s 15km classic-technique cross-country race. Recently diagnosed with a severe case of compartment syndrome, has had to curtail his racing over the last months, but he pulled off a great race today. Starting 21st, eight slots ahead of the best racers, Freeman worked his way into the race, moving up steadily at each checkpoint (his placings: 48, 42, 34, 21, 14, 10, 8, 6, 4, 4) but failing, finally, to find the 1.4 seconds he needed to move into third and the medals. (For a really good analysis of Freeman’s race strategy, see my friend Colin’s post over at our Nordic Commentary Project blog.)
Even so, the accomplishment is superlative, and bodes well for other races Freeman can run this season. It should also give the American team a good boost as the World Championships continue with ten more races between tomorrow and March 1.
(Crossposted to Nordic Commentary Project.)