(Photo Credit – Ben Pieper : Point Productions, LLC)
For Immediate Release:
Park City, UT: Sarah Hendrickson (Park City, Utah) and Michael Glasder (Cary, Ill), who both qualified their spots at Olympic Trials in December, will be joined by two other women and three other men for the Ski Jumping Team in PyeongChang. On the Nordic Combined side, Bryan Fletcher (Steamboat Springs,Co), the winner of Olympic Trials, will be joined by four other athletes. U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced its selections Thursday (Jan. 25) for the 2018 U.S. Olympic Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined Teams that will compete at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 beginning February 9.
2018 U.S. OLYMPIC SKI JUMPING TEAM
Men
Kevin Bickner, Wauconda, Ill. Norge Ski Club
Michael Glasder, Cary, Ill. Norge Ski Club
Casey Larson, Barrington, Ill. Norge Ski Club
Will Rhoads, Park City, Ut. Park City Ski and Snowboard
Women
Nita Englund, Florence, Wis. Kiwanis Ski Club
Sarah Hendrickson, Park City, Ut. Park City Ski and Snowboard
Abby Ringquist, Park City, Ut. Park City Ski and Snowboard
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2018 U.S. OLYMPIC NORDIC COMBINED TEAM
Ben Berend, Steamboat Springs, Co. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Bryan Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, Co. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Taylor Fletcher, Steamboat Springs, Co. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Jasper Good, Steamboat Springs, Co. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Ben Loomis, Eau Claire, Wi. Flying Eagles Ski Club
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“It’s exciting to see an entire group of first time Olympians head to South Korea,” said Men’s Team Director Clint Jones. “It was great to see Mike Glasder secure his spot at the Olympic Trials. The other three athletes are young and making quick progress in the sport. Even though they are relatively inexperienced, we are hoping for big things.”
“Going into the second Olympic Winter Games in history for the ladies, I am excited to see two first-time Olympians join the team alongside veteran Sarah Hendrickson,” said Women’s Team Director Alan Alborn. “Nita Englund and Abby Ringquist are both competing for their first time in the Olympics and have been working hard to secure that opportunity for many seasons.”
Men’s Ski Jumping will kick off with the normal hill qualifying on February 8. The women will have one jumping event on the normal hill on Monday, February 12.
Head Nordic Combined Coach, Martin Bayer, said, “It’s a relatively young team with great chemistry between them who are all highly motivated athletes. Bryan Fletcher is the oldest member of the team with the most experience on international stage. It is the third time going to the Olympic Games for younger brother Taylor Fletcher, who we all know is one of the fastest cross-country skiers in the Nordic combined field.”
“Ben Loomis is the youngest athlete on the team,” added Bayer. “His strength comes from ski jumping side but I’m sure he will surprise us on cross-country skis as well. It’s also the first Olympics for Jasper Good and Ben Berend. Jasper has been one of our most consistent athletes and both Ben and Jasper have great attitudes that will serve them well.”
The Nordic Combined competitions will begin with an individual event on Wednesday, February 14.
NBCUniversal will present more than 2,400 hours of coverage across NBC, NBCSN, CNBC, USA Network, NBCOlympics.com, and the NBC Sports app – the most ever for a Winter Olympics.
Quotes from athletes:
Kevin Bickner
“It’s been a childhood dream of mine ever since I started skiing and now that it’s finally happening it’s surreal. I’m really excited to finally be named to the team. My goal is to do everything right and have good jumps. I want to jump 100% to my potential. I know if I do this then a good result can come from it and I hope to surprise America.”
Will Rhoads
“I am excited and honored to be a part of Team USA for the upcoming 2018 Winter Olympics! I’m really looking forward to competing at the highest level and experiencing all that the games has to offer.”
Casey Larson
“For a long time making the Olympic Team was merely a goal. Before last winter, 2022 seemed like more the reality but all of a sudden a few things got figured out and I started jumping really well. I am extremely honored to be on the team and now the focus is on really enjoying the experience and getting some great results. For me, personally, I know what it took to get to this point. This winter has had its ups and downs already and now I feel like as a team we can start to focus on achieving some goals that we’ve had in our heads for awhile.”
Abby Ringquist
“I am overwhelmed with excitement and I really can’t believe my dream is finally coming true. I am an Olympian! Since watching the 1994 Olympics when I was five, I knew I wanted to be an Olympian when I grew up, not knowing which sport could take me there. I’ve heard a lot of ‘no’s’ throughout my 21 year long career, from not being allowed in 2006 and 2010, to missing out on 2014 Games. I almost hung my skis up four years ago, but I put my head down and worked harder than I ever have. It brings me to tears knowing all of the hard times and hard work are paying off. I can’t wait to represent my country and I hope that I can perform my best and make my nation, my community, my family and my friends proud.”
Ben Loomis
“I am extremely honoured to be heading to Pyeong Chang and representing our country. The Olympics are something I have always dreamed of, and to go at such a young age is extremely exciting. For me, the Olympics will be all about the experience. I am hoping to take it all in and use this experience in future. I look forward to sharing my first Olympic experience with Jasper Good as well as veterans Bryan and Taylor Fletcher.”
Jasper Good
Taylor Fletcher
2 Comments
I am so Happy and proud of my Norge skiclub to bad Bobby Immens Is not here to see this, this was his dream, when we started the junior program in 1965, a big thank you to Scott Smith, what
a great job you have done Scott. Good luck in South Korea.
Good luck to all guys and gals ski jumpers! I know you will remember that to be really competitive, you should jump to the Hill Size (HS) distance, or even a little beyond–if you believe you can do that safely. Have fun; be safe; and give it all you’ve got. I’m proud of all of you!