USSA Announces Nordic Junior World Teams

Sat, Jan  31, 2009 - By US Ski Team

PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 29) - As the 2009 FIS Junior World Championships for ski jumping and nordic combined approach, 15 athletes from across the nation have been tapped to be on the Junior World Championship Team for jumping and nordic combined.

"We're excited to be able to name a team of such accomplished athletes to represent the U.S. in the Junior World Championships," U.S. Nordic Program Director John Farra said. "It's going to be a great year for the U.S. to showcase the future of the sport on an international level."

The U.S. Ski Team's Sarah Hendrickson, Abby Hughes and Avery Ardovino (all Park City, UT), along with Nina Lussi (Lake Placid, NY), who was nominated for 2008 Sports Illustrated Kid of the Year, and Continental Cup competitor Karin Friberg (Roseville, MN) head up the women's jumping roster.

"Avery, Abby and Sarah are all clearly capable of being successful at Junior Worlds," Farra said. "Newcomers Karin and Nina both also represent the future of the sport and we're just excited about the opportunities for the women jumpers especially at Junior Worlds"

On the men's side, Anders Johnson (Park City, UT), who led the U.S. Junior World Championship team to a successful finish in 2008 as he jumped the fourth highest scored jump to land the U.S. to an eighth-place finish in the team event, highlights the team once again.  Nick Fairall (Andover, NH) and Andrew Bliss (Lake Placid, NY) will also push the men's jumpers to the top. Both Johnson and Fairall have scored points on the World Cup this season.

In nordic combined, Nick Hendrickson (Park City, UT), brother of jumper Sarah Hendrickson, will compete among a squad that includes Taylor Fletcher and Brett Denney (both Steamboat Springs, CO).

"We feel like the future is really bright in nordic combined. These guys are going to go over there and do a bang up job," Farra said. "The same goes for men's jumping. We've got a bunch of guys that really want to put men's jumping back on the map for the U.S. and they're going to push for big results there."

2009 Nordic FIS Junior World Championships for nordic combined and jumping will be in Strbske Pleso, Slovakia, Feb. 5-8. World Junior and Under-23 Cross Country Championships will be held in Praz de Lys Sammand, France, Jan. 28 - Feb. 6. The cross country team was named earlier in January.

2009 U.S. Junior World Championship Team

Women's Jumping:
Sarah Hendrickson (8/1/94; Park City, UT)
Abby Hughes (6/21/89; Park City, UT)
Avery Ardovino (2/13/92; Park City, UT)
Nina Lussi (3/29/94; Lake Placid, NY)
Karin Friberg (11/17/89; Roseville, MN)

Men's Jumping:
Anders Johnson (4/23/89; Park City, UT)
Chris Lamb (6/21/89; Andover, NH)
Nick Fairall  (7/6/89; Andover, NH)
Mike Glasder (3/27/89; Cary, IL)
Andrew Bliss (11/17/90; Lake Placid, NY)

Nordic Combined:
Brett Denney (2/26/90; Steamboat Springs, CO)
Nick Hendrickson (6/20/91; Park City, UT)
Taylor Fletcher (5/11/90; Steamboat Springs, CO)
Colin Delaney (2/21/91; Lake Placid, NY)
Cliff Field (9/29/92; Steamboat Springs, CO)