BIOGRAPHY
Billy Demong feels a fractured skull may have been good luck because it helped head-off potential burnout and re-stoked his love of competing. One other payoff: he became only the second U.S. nordic combined skier to earn an Olympic or World Championships medal and he became a World Cup winner again. In the 2009 season Demong took his medal count up a notch when he won gold and bronze at World Championships.
UPDATE
Demong was literally unstoppable throughout the 2009 season as he amassed an astounding 10 World Cup podium finishes for third in the overall standings, matching his '08 result. His string of success took flight in Austria, where he had his first win of the season in December. Following the win, Demong took two second-place finishes before heading to the Olympic test events in Whistler where he won and was second during a string of competitions at the 2010 venue. Demong edged in one last win in Germany before it was time to focus his energy on World Championships. A calculating athlete, Demong went into the competition on the world's stage where his first brush (he won silver in '07) with success earned him a bronze and put him on the podium with fellow American Todd Lodwick. But Demong wasn't finished and went on to win the gold in the final individual Gundersen of the series. Two wins and two podiums later - including a win in the highly coveted King's Cup race in Norway - and Demong says he is more ready than he's ever been to prepare for the 2010 season. "These results give me a lot of motivation to start training for next season with a focus on the Olympic Winter Games," Demong said.
OLYMPIC SEASON
Demong has put forth a stellar Vancouver Bound effort with a World Cup win and a fourth place finish. Demong's results continue to improve as the Olympic Games approach.
FIRST TRACKS
Demong's father - an environmental biologist who's in the woods almost daily - had him on cross country skis by 3, racing by 6. At 10, he started jumping in Larry Stone's Lake Placid program. He muscled his way into a preseason trip before the '98 Olympic season and earned his way onto the World Cup tour, competing in the Nagano Winter Games at 17 and his first World Championships the next year. Also in '99, he anchored the USA's gold-medal foursome in the team event at the Junior World Championships; the next season, with Demong skiing second, the team collected silver.
FIRST WORLD CUP
Dec. 11, 1997 at Steamboat Springs, CO (43rd in sprint)
OLYMPICS/WORLDS
2009 Worlds -Gold in the individual Gundersen, Bronze in the individual Gundersen, 2007 Worlds - Silver medal in the combined individual event, 13th in the sprint. 2006 Olympics - 15th in individual, 25th in sprint. 2005 Worlds - 12th in individual, 19th in sprint. 2002 Olympics - 14th in sprint, 19th in individual. 2001 Worlds - 18th in individual, 22nd in sprint. 1999 Worlds - 18th in sprint, 27th in individual. 1998 Olympics - 34th in individual.
I AM
A big fan of elk steak, ice cream and classic rock...I also enjoy back country skiing and would love a return trip to Alaska for some salmon fishing...Carpentry was tough but it's good to do something you know you won't be doing the rest of your life. Blending training, slinging a hammer and college classes helped Demong become more organized after his Summer '02 injury, that sidelined him for the '03 season. "I had post-it notes everywhere reminding me about everything"...In addition to my computer and some books, I bring peanut butter and hot sauce ("to spice up that bland Euro food”) when I'm on the road...New York State Cross Country champion, elected into Saranac Lake High School Hall of Fame.
* - Olympics - 1998, '02, '06; Worlds - 1999, '01, '05, '07, '09
* - 2009: Gold and bronze at World Champsionships
* - 2009: U.S. record 10 World Cup podiums in single season
* - 2008: Third in overall World Cup standings
* - 2008: backcountry.com U.S. National Champion
* - Career: Eight World Cup wins and 11 other podiums
* - 2007: Silver medal in combined individual event at Worlds
* - 2007: Swept U.S. combined and both jumping titles
* - 2001: '02 U.S. combined champ, '01 K90 jump champ
01/21/2010
World Champs Highlight Olympic Combined Team
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01/16/2010
Lodwick Notches Third in France
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01/10/2010
Demong, Lodwick Make History in Italy
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01/03/2010
Spillane Takes First World Cup Win
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01/02/2010
Spillane 4th in Oberhof World Cup
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12/23/2009
Spillane Wins Olympic Trials in Steamboat
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12/19/2009
Spillane Just Misses Podium Again
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12/18/2009
Lodwick Challenges in Ramsau
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10/09/2009
Placid Ready for U.S. Champs Saturday
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09/22/2009
Nordic Athletes Look for Success in Placid
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07/20/2009
Nordic Combined Scales New Heights
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07/19/2009
Combined Team Takes on the Tour
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02/25/2009
USA Second in Medals
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02/25/2009
USA Sets Combined Relay Team
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02/22/2009
V-BLOG: Champions Interviews
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02/22/2009
Lodwick Gold, Demong Bronze
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02/22/2009
USA Leads Medals Count
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02/19/2009
Jumps Postponed, Lodwick, Demong 1-3 in XC
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01/26/2009
U.S. Nordic World Champs Team Named
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