Austria wins Nordic combined team gold
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 | 6:49 PM ET
The Associated Press
The Austrian team collapses in a celebratory heap on final skier Mario Stecher, left, after its Nordic combined victory. (Matthias Schrader/Associated Press)Austria won the gold medal in the Nordic combined team relay on Tuesday, edging the Americans.
Billy Demong, of Vermontville, N.Y., had a slight edge over Mario Stecher heading into the stadium, but stumbled at the turn and watched the Austrian zoom past him on the straightaway for a 5.2-second victory Tuesday.
Austria's winning time in the 4x5-kilometre relay following a jump off the large hill was 49 minutes 31.6 seconds. Germany won bronze, finishing 19.5 seconds behind the winners.
Bernhard Gruber and Felix Gottwald joined Stecher from the Austrian team that won at the 2006 Torino Games. David Kreiner was the newcomer.
Germany's Bjorn Kircheisen now has three Olympic medals, having been part of the silver-winning teams of the 2002 and 2006 Games.
Johnny Spillane was part of the U.S. team, becoming the first multi-medallist in Nordic combined in Vancouver after taking silver in the individual/normal hill competition last week.
Finland, which won gold in Salt Lake City and bronze in the event at Torino, finished seventh.
There was no Canadian entrant in the race.
With files from CBCSports.ca
