First Titles for Rhoads and Lussi
PARK CITY, UT (Aug. 1, 2015) - Will Rhoads (Park City, UT; Park City Nordic) and Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY; New York Ski Educational Foundation) soared to first-time titles during the U.S. Ski Jumping Championships at the Utah Olympic Park on the HS134-meter Olympic hill. Rhoads, a member of the 2015 World Championship Team, edged Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL; Norge Ski Club) who took silver, and last year's titlist Christian Friberg (St. Paul, MN; St. Paul Ski Club) who won bronze. Lussi won over Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A. teammate Tara Geraghty-Moats (W. Fairlee, VT; New York Ski Education Foundation) and Abby Hughes (Park City, UT; Women's Ski Jumping U.S.A.).
Rhoads set the pace in the opening round, launching a 125.5 meter ride to take the lead over Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, IL; Norget Ski Club), who had won the Springer Tournee on the HS-100 hill Friday. In the second round, Canadian Maken Boyd-Clowes put down the long jump of the day at 130.0 meters to take the lead, passing by Bickner and last year’s large hill champion Christian Friberg (St. Paul, MN; St. Paul Ski Club). That left it up to Rhoads to match.
As Rhoads took the bar for his championship jump, a slight headwind on the knoll forced officials to hold. After about a two-minute delay, Rhoads slid back onto the bar and iced a beautiful 128.5-meter jump to seal the win and his first U.S. title.
Boyd-Clowes finished second, but the medals went to Bickner with silver and Friberg with bronze.
“I really didn’t have my set jumps yesterday (in the Springer Tournee) so I had to refocus what I had to do to get into the zone today,” said Rhoads. “I needed to be really aggressive on the takeoff on the second jump and be very deliberate over the knoll. I’m pretty satisfied with my performance. It was a little nerve wracking to be pulled off the bar but I’m glad I handled it well. I just tried to focus on my own feelings.”
The U.S.A. Nordic men head to Poland this week for a FIS Continental Cup. The top athletes there will go on to a series of other events, including FIS Summer Grand Prix.
First national title for Nina Lussi on the HS134-meter Olympic hill at the Utah Olympic Park. (USSA/Tom Kelly)
The women’s competition was won by France’s Lea Lemare, with Lussi claiming gold as the top American. Lemare set the pace with a 120-meter first round jump with Lussi second with 117.0-meters. Geraghty-Moats In the final round, Lussi uncorked the long ride of the day for the women at 120.0-meters to clinch the gold. Geraghty-Moats held off Hughes for silver by a mere three-tenths of a point.
“Man, it feels good. It’s been a goal to become a national champion,” said Lussi. “I had a good day yesterday so I knew what I was doing was right. I didn’t do anything special. I was satisfied with my first round. In the second round I went up and just knew I had to do it again. I had a good jump and could feel it right away.”
Lussi, a Lake Placid native, has been training with the Women’s Ski Jumping U.S.A. program in Park City this summer. “The facilities here are great. I’ve also been able to train here at the USSA Center of Excellence since May. I’m a big ski racing fan so it’s pretty cool to be there.”
The Championships wrapped up a week of activities with the 17th annual Springer Tournee. “The Utah Olympic Park is great and it’s nice this week to have everyone in the country coming here,” said Lussi. “The Springer Tournee has such tradition.”
The U.S. Ski Jumping Championships normal hill event will be held this October at Lake Placid.
RESULTS (only U.S. athletes are eligible for medals)
Men's Official Results
Women's Official Results