Fletcher takes U.S, title, Lussi inaugural women’s winner

Veteran Bryan Fletcher may have claimed the U.S. summer national title 2017 but younsters Ben Loomis and Jasper Good impressed with their first national podiums. World Cup ski jumper Nina Lussi entered the history books as first women’s Nordic Combined champion in the USA.

The clear jumping winner with a total of 115 points, Fletcher took full advantage of his pole position and one minute and 14 seconds time advantage on second placed Nathaniel Mah from Canada (96.5 p.). Fletcher won a whopping two minutes and 16 seconds ahead of Youth Olympic Games silver medalist Ben Loomis. Loomis had started from the third position but managed to leave Mah behind him.

Jasper Good started from position four and also overtook Mah to claim his first national bronze medal, two minutes and 57 seconds behind Fletcher. The Canadian had to be satisfied with the final seventh rank in the end, as Ben Berend, Adam Loomis and fastest skier Taylor Fletcher also managed to squeeze by.

World Cup ski jumper Nina Lussi and FIS Youth Cup athlete Gabby Armstrong battled for the inaugural women’s title. With a good ski jump, Lussi achieved a four minute and 30 second advantage that proved to be impossible to beat on the 5 km roller-ski track, even if Armstrong was almost two minutes faster in the second competition half.