Park City’s Nordic Combined athletes take the top 25 at the Olympics

Today, USA Nordic Sport nominated 41 American athletes to its 2022-23 National and Junior National Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping Teams, several of which included Park City athletes. Photo: USA Nordic.

BEIJING — All four American Nordic Combined athletes placed in the top 25 today at the Beijing 2022 Olympics. 

• 15th – Ben Loomis (2nd Olympics,) originally from Eau Claire, Wisconsin
• 19th – Jared Shumate (1st Olympics,) from Park City
• 24th – Taylor Fletcher (4th Olympics,) originally from Steamboat Springs, Colorado
• 25th – Stephen Schumann (1st Olympics,), from Park City

Nordic Combined consists of athletes that compete in cross-country skiing and ski jumping

The 46 Nordic Combined athletes took one jump on the Normal Hill in the daylight and then cross country skate skied for 10 kilometers, under the lights. 

The farther an athlete ski jumps determines at what timing increment back they ski off the starting blocks for the 10k. The first one across the finish line, after an approximate 30 minute, full-out sprint, wins. Posing contrasting training and nutrition regimens, ski jumping athletes try to have smaller body profiles while cross country athletes try to have bigger body profiles.

Nordic Combined isn’t in the Olympic Program as a women’s sport.

Just days before the team traveled to Beijing, TownLift asked Loomis about the Olympics being his, and most of his competitor’s first time at the venue, to which he said,

I’m excited for it. It’s always fun to see another new venue and it very much makes it an even playing field for all the countries which is a good thing. We have an added advantage of being used to high-altitude skiing like here in Park City.

Loomis, a member of the Utah National Guard, graduated from the Winter Sports School and worked at Red Banjo Pizza. His brother coaches the Park City Ski and Snowboard Team.

Shumate started jumping via the Youth Sports Alliance after-school program on the Park City hills that he could see from his house.

Fletcher has announced that this will be his final Olympics. He volunteers for Deer Valley’s Shred for Red and works at Athletic Republic in Park City. 

Schumann has worked at Utah Olympic Park while overcoming two knee injuries in the last four years, a fact on the minds of all the local supporters at his parent’s house for last night’s midnight watch party.

USA Nordic Executive Director Park City’s Billy Demong, brought home a gold medal from Vancouver in 2010 in the Individual Nordic Combined. The medalists for Individual Nordic Combined: 

1. Gold – Vinzenz Geiger (GER)
2. Silver – Joergen Graabak (NOR)
3. Bronze – Lukas Greiderer (AUT)

The Team USA athletes compete in Nordic Combined on the Large Hill/10k and again in the Team even later in the Beijing Olympics.