The Nordic Weekend

The big news in ski jumping this weekend was that the debut of the Olympic venue in Pragelato, outside Torino, wasn't a good one: the site is ugly and windy, which makes jumpers and spectators unhappy. I hope all of those crazy Japanese, German, and Finnish fans make the trip. The competition itself was lackluster, not least because World Cup leader Ahonen didn't jump at all, but another Finn, Matti Hautamaki, won, leaving second and third to Michael Urhmann (GER) and Thomas Morgenstern (AUT).

On another note, Amerian Todd Lodwick is quietly having a fantastic season in the nordic combined discipline, which combines ski-jumping and cross-country skiing. Lodwick is currently in third, which is awesomely high for an American and which puts him in a good position for the world championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, this weekend.