Todd Lodwick is a nordic combined athlete competing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
The Vancouver Games will be Todd Lodwick's fifth Olympics, the most ever for any American skier. He made his first U.S. Olympic team in 1994 as a 17-year-old, and has competed in every Olympic Nordic combined event since then. The 2002 Salt Lake Games provided him with his best chance to medal, but a painful fourth place in the team event was as close as he got. Frustrations boiled over at the 2006 Torino
In March 2006, Lodwick decided to call it quits after four Olympic appearances, six World Championships and almost 150 World Cup starts, citing that competing in Nordic combined was becoming "more job than pleasure." His two-year hiatus allowed him more time to spend with his wife Sunny and young children, daughter Charley and son Finn, his favorite pastime of bow hunting and a moderately-lucrative stake in the real estate business. In the summer of 2008, a re-energized Lodwick got the blessing from his family to strap his skis back on, in search of that which had eluded him earlier in his career: a world championship or Olympic medal.
The camouflage that Lodwick had worn so often during his retirement became a symbol for his quick rise out of nowhere into competitive form. He began training in May 2008 and took his first ski jumps at the beginning of July. In all, he took fewer than 200 jumps during the entire preseason, a drop in the bucket compared to his competitors. Despite his pedigree, he was forced to race four, second-tier Continental Cup events—including two at the 2010 Olympic venue—just to earn his way back onto the World Cup team. Amazingly, his first two World Cup events, over Christmas weekend, yielded runner-up results. "I was surprised by my ski jumping skills. But after all, it's like driving an old, well-known car!"
A six-time winner on the World Cup circuit, Lodwick rose to unforeseen heights at the 2009 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. In the first event, he fulfilled his comeback goal by winning the gold medal in the mass start event with a stunning final ski jump. Two days later, he made it two victories in a row, winning the normal hill individual event. What he called "a crazy fairytale" was witnessed live on a big-screen television at Olympian Hall in his hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Growing up in one of the few U.S. towns with running, competition ski jumps, Todd Lodwick followed his older brother Kris into Nordic combined. In December 1995, he became the first U.S. skier to win a Nordic combined World Cup, and he did it in front of family and friends in Steamboat in what would be the first of many major victories on home turf. In October 2009, Lodwick won his 20th national title in Nordic combined and ski jumping.
After Torino, Lodwick prepared himself for his career swan song. In his farewell event, held at the fabled Holmenkollen venue outside Oslo, he decided to dress up in 1950's ski jumping attire with a shirt, necktie, suspenders, knickers, knee-high socks and a wool hat. His jumping technique even copied the prevalent —- but less effective - style of yesteryear, with hands forward and skis parallel. Lodwick's tribute to the sport was endearing to the tens of thousands of diehard Norwegian fans in attendance, who applauded wildly when the American crossed the finish line.
The Vancouver Games will be Todd Lodwick's fifth Olympics, the most ever for any American skier. He made his first U.S. Olympic team in 1994 as a 17-year-old, and has competed in every Olympic Nordic combined event since then. The 2002 Salt Lake Games provided him with his best chance to medal, but a painful fourth place in the team event was as close as he got. Frustrations boiled over at the 2006 Torino
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Games, when he infamously confronted teammate Carl van Loan, calling him the "weakest link," in reference to his poor form that had taken the U.S. out of medal contention in the team event (they finished a distant seventh). Van Loan countered by claiming that Lodwick was not a team player.In March 2006, Lodwick decided to call it quits after four Olympic appearances, six World Championships and almost 150 World Cup starts, citing that competing in Nordic combined was becoming "more job than pleasure." His two-year hiatus allowed him more time to spend with his wife Sunny and young children, daughter Charley and son Finn, his favorite pastime of bow hunting and a moderately-lucrative stake in the real estate business. In the summer of 2008, a re-energized Lodwick got the blessing from his family to strap his skis back on, in search of that which had eluded him earlier in his career: a world championship or Olympic medal.
The camouflage that Lodwick had worn so often during his retirement became a symbol for his quick rise out of nowhere into competitive form. He began training in May 2008 and took his first ski jumps at the beginning of July. In all, he took fewer than 200 jumps during the entire preseason, a drop in the bucket compared to his competitors. Despite his pedigree, he was forced to race four, second-tier Continental Cup events—including two at the 2010 Olympic venue—just to earn his way back onto the World Cup team. Amazingly, his first two World Cup events, over Christmas weekend, yielded runner-up results. "I was surprised by my ski jumping skills. But after all, it's like driving an old, well-known car!"
A six-time winner on the World Cup circuit, Lodwick rose to unforeseen heights at the 2009 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. In the first event, he fulfilled his comeback goal by winning the gold medal in the mass start event with a stunning final ski jump. Two days later, he made it two victories in a row, winning the normal hill individual event. What he called "a crazy fairytale" was witnessed live on a big-screen television at Olympian Hall in his hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Growing up in one of the few U.S. towns with running, competition ski jumps, Todd Lodwick followed his older brother Kris into Nordic combined. In December 1995, he became the first U.S. skier to win a Nordic combined World Cup, and he did it in front of family and friends in Steamboat in what would be the first of many major victories on home turf. In October 2009, Lodwick won his 20th national title in Nordic combined and ski jumping.
After Torino, Lodwick prepared himself for his career swan song. In his farewell event, held at the fabled Holmenkollen venue outside Oslo, he decided to dress up in 1950's ski jumping attire with a shirt, necktie, suspenders, knickers, knee-high socks and a wool hat. His jumping technique even copied the prevalent —- but less effective - style of yesteryear, with hands forward and skis parallel. Lodwick's tribute to the sport was endearing to the tens of thousands of diehard Norwegian fans in attendance, who applauded wildly when the American crossed the finish line.
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