Big Day for USA at Nordic World Championships

The news is just filtering in now, but Lindsey Van won the Gold in the first ever women's ski jump competion at the Nordic World Championships in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile the 33 year old and formerly retired Todd Lodwick won Gold in nordic combined, following up from medals in combined by Billy Demong and Johnny Spillane in 2003 and 2007. And Kris Freeman topped off the day to take 4th in today's 15K classic, only 1.5 seconds out of Bronze. Freeman's amazing. He has diabetes, and this year has been hampered with compartment syndrome which has limited his training and racing to classic technique only for the past month. He's had an up an down year and is scheduled for surgery next week.

Van & ski jumping: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-02-20-van-worlds_N.htm

Lodwick wins: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-02-20-men-nordic-combined_N.htm

Men's 15K, Freeman 4th: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-02-20-world-15k_N.htm