Hamilton his first Olympic berth last season. A multiple NCAA
All-American while competing for Middlebury, he has future
success stamped all over his portfolio.
Outlook: “I am very proud to be a part of the U.S. Ski Team,”
says Hamilton. “My main focus is a top- 20 finish in this sea-
son’s World Championships freestyle sprint in Oslo. Being able
to race at the Holmenkollen in Oslo during a World Champion-
ships is every cross country skier’s dream, and I am going to do
everything in my power to achieve that goal.”
Noah Hoffman
Age: 21
Years on Team: 1
Hometown: Aspen, Colo.,
Club: Sun Valley SEF
Equipment: Madshus, Rotefella, Rudy
Project
Résumé: A 20th-place finish in the U23
15K classic last season and a dazzling
result as second best U.S. skier in the
national 50K convinced Hoffman to extend what was to be a
one-year stab at competitive nordic skiing.
Outlook: “The 2011 season offers a ton of great opportunities
for me to accomplish my goals and move forward as an ath-
lete,” says Hoffman. “I hope to make the transition to full-time
international racing and improve my consistency.”
Nordic Combined A Team
Billy Demong
Age: 30
Hometown: Vermontville, NY
Years on Team: 11
Club: Lake Placid Ski Club
Equipment: Atomic, Uvex, Swix
Sponsors: Lake Placid, Smartwool
Résumé: Gold and silver medals
at the Winter Olympics; gold, silver
USST PHOTO/TOM KELLY; USST PHOTO; SCOT T SINE; GEPA (JUMPER)
and bronze at the World Championships. Nine World Cup wins.
There really isn’t much more to add other than to underscore
Demong’s team-player aspect.
Outlook: Demong could shut it all down now and forever be
considered a U.S. nordic combined superstar. “We brought our-
selves to a level over the last decade, where we were actually
one of the teams that was the best in the world and that was
a long, long road,” says Demong. “We knew that we had a le-
gitimate shot to end this 60-year drought of Olympic medals in
nordic combined for the U.S. Through the entire Olympics, we
were sort of the team to beat and we always had guys on the
podium. It sounds simple to say that, but what the magnitude of
that success means to our program is huge.”
Todd Lodwick
Age: 34
Years on Team: 18
Hometown: Steamboat Springs, Colo.,
Club: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Equipment: Atomic, Jalas, Uvex, Swix
Sponsor: Mossy Oak
Résumé: Silver medal (team) at 2010 Olympics and two
Worlds gold medals in 2009 add to a record of six World Cup
wins (and 28 podiums) totaled over his 18 seasons. He was
the breakthrough skier to collect the first U.S. World Cup win in
nordic combined back in 1995.
Outlook: “I have a lot to look forward to in the 2011 season,” says
Lodwick. “I want to get back in
shape and get excited for the Oslo
World Championships. You don’t get
to compete in World Championships
in Olso very often, so I think for me
to win a medal in Oslo would really
signify a great success. I have every
intention of going into Worlds defending my title.”
Billy Demong
