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Steamboat Springs’ Johnny Spillane was part of history yesterday, as he took his third silver medal in Vancouver, this time in the Nordic combined large-hill competition. Bill Demong of Vermontville, New York, took gold, marking the first time Americans have finished first and second in the Olympic event (via The Associated Press).
Spillane has had an amazing Olympics run, becoming the first American to medal in an Olympic Nordic combined event, and then taking another silver in the team relay earlier this week. But other Coloradans haven’t been as fortunate.
Winter Park’s Ryan St. Onge came up just a few points shy of medaling in men’s freestyle skiing aerials, finishing fourth (via Steamboat Today).
Colorado Springs’ Rachael Flatt faltered in last night’s figure skating long-program event, finishing seventh after two downgraded jumps, writes the Colorado Springs Gazette. Flatt says her jumps felt fine, and she’s not sure why the judges downgraded them. Still, Flatt, a high school senior, wasn’t even supposed to be in the Olympics this year, so her future still looks bright. She’s likely to be a much stronger competitor in 2014, and more immediate competitions are on her horizon, including the World Championships next month.
And, of course, there’s Vail’s Lindsey Vonn, who has earned gold and bronze medals so far but didn’t finish yesterday’s giant slalom, after falling and breaking her pinky in Wednesday’s qualifying run. The U.S. Ski Team tells The Associated Press Vonn will race in today’s slalom.