France Defends Combined Team Title
FALUN, Sweden (Feb. 28, 2015) - Legs burning from the soft snow, France's Jason Lamy Chappuis summoned one final burst of energy to hold off a hard-charing Johannes Rydzek of Germany to seal a start-to-finish win for France in the team sprint at the Falun 2015 Nordic World Ski Championships. Lamy Chappuis teamed with Francois Braud to defend the title it won in 2013. Norway took the bronze but lost a chance at silver when anchor leg Haavard Klemetsen broke a pole in the final exchange. The USA finished ninth, 1:59 back from France.
The USA was on the right track in jumping when Taylor Fletcher (Steamboat Springs, CO) opened with a 117.0 meter ride - seventh longest on the day. Brother Bryan, who was fifth in Thursday's individual large hill competition, hit bad wind and could only manage 98.5 - leaving the USA in tenth, over two minutes back.
"It was a tough day today," said Head Coach Dave Jarrett. "Taylor did a great job. Bryan was a bit unlucky in the jump with the wind. With some luck on the air we would have been there."
It was also a slogfest during the cross country relay. The course had been re-groomed after the women's 30k classic. But in the warm temperatures, it didn't have time to set up firmly. The snow was inconsistent, soft and deep in places, wearing down athletes heading into the final legs of the relay.
"Today was racing for pride," said Bryan Fletcher. "I was unlucky on the jump and needed a near perfect jump to have a chance in those conditions. Unfortunately I didn't have that jump which took Tay and I out of the competition."
Bryan Fletcher does leave Falun on the heels of a strong fifth place finish Thursday.
"Taylor and I went out in the race to enjoy the crowd and the atmosphere in the last competition of Worlds," said Bryan. "Falun did a great job hosting the championships and I enjoyed them throughly. I am walking away with a personal best finish and some motivation going into the rest of the season."
The tour now heads to Lahti, Finland - site of the 2017 World Championships - as the World Cup resumes next week, then on to Norway for competitions at Trondheim and Holmenkollen in Oslo.
HIGHLIGHTS
- France took gold over Germany and Norway
- The USA found itself over two minutes back after jumping, finishing ninth.
- The USA leaves Falun after four nordic combined events highlighted by Bryan Fletcher's run for medals in the large hill individual event, where he ended up fifth.
QUOTES
Bryan Fletcher
Today was racing for pride. I was unlucky on the jump and needed a near perfect jump to have a chance in those conditions. Unfortunately I didn't have that jump which took Tay and I out of the competition. Wind is part of our sport and it's a variable no one can control despite how hard we try. Situations like today will always happen until someone figures out how tangental wind forces affect jumpers and then how to compensate for it.
RESULTS
Nordic Combined Team Sprint