Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
JIM ARMSTRONG
Associated Press
SAPPORO, Japan - German veteran Ronny Ackermann won the Nordic combined 15-kilometer event Saturday, while Bill Demong took silver for the United States' first medal at the Nordic World Ski Championships.
Ackermann, the defending champion in this event, crossed the finish line in 38 minutes, 35.6 seconds.
"This is fantastic," Ackermann said. "I wasn't the favorite. I've only had two top-three finishes this season in the World Cup so this is fantastic."
Demong edged past Finland's Anssi Koivuranta in a photo finish to claim the silver 8.5 seconds back. Koivuranta took bronze 8.7 seconds off the pace.
Demong is the first American to medal in Nordic combined at the world championships since Johnny Spillane won gold in the 7.5-kilometer sprint event at the 2003 meet in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
"This is a big day for me," Demong said. "It's exciting what this means for myself and what this means for Nordic skiing in the United States."
Ackermann started the cross-country race 34 seconds behind France's Jason Lamy Chappuis after jumps of 95 and 95.5 meters on the normal hill.
Demong, who had the second-fastest cross country time of 37:04.1, stood in eighth place after jumps of 89.5 and 94.5 meters and was 1:40 back of Chappuis before the cross-country race.
World Cup leader Hannu Manninen of Finland finished in sixth place.
In normal hill ski jumping, veteran Adam Malysz of Poland took the gold medal with jumps of 102 and 99.5 meters for 277 points.
Large hill gold medalist Simon Ammann of Switzerland won silver with 255.5 points after jumps of 96.5 and 96 meters. Double Olympic gold medalist Thomas Morgenstern had two jumps of 95 meters to win the bronze with 254.5 points.
Elsewhere, World Cup leader Virpi Kuitunen of Finland coasted to victory in the women's 30-kilometer cross-country mass start event.
Kuitunen crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 29 minutes, 47.1 seconds to pick up her fourth medal of the meet.
Norway's Kristin Stormer Steira finished second 6.9 seconds behind, while fellow Norwegian Therese Johaug took third 1:22.8 off the pace.
Kuitunen was a member of Finland's 4 X 5-kilometer cross-country relay team that won the gold on Thursday. She also captured gold in the team sprint and a bronze medal in the 1.2-kilometer sprint event.
Norway leads the world championships with 14 medals. Germany and Finland trail with seven medals each.