After twenty two years, gold and silver on the same day. Words can not capture it. Four medals for the Nordic Combined in 10 days – after zero in the previous eighty-six years.
When I spoke to Billy Demong’s mom right after the race she reminded me of the time I sat her down and said that as a coach to her son “I am going to put you through the wildest emotional roller coaster you could possibly imagine.” She then pointed out to me that I had also told her it was possible some day her son could win Olympic gold.
Today was perhaps the finest example of team work I have ever seen at the Olympics. Bill Demong took gold and Johnny Spillane took silver in large part because Todd Lodwick led a pack of ten very strong skiers who were set to try to ski Billy and Johnny down. Todd sacrificed his own medal chances by putting the brakes on that pack several times, by surging to the front and then slowing the pack down. As Todd came into the stadium in a possible race for fourth, he then coasted in high-fiving the spectators in the crowd on his way to crossing the finish line. Talk about commitment to the greater good!!
I don’t know if there is a gold bullet, but if there is I’ll find it and add it to my growing collection of “silver bullets” to commemorate this incredible day.
More to come…
Tags: 3 Peaks Leadership, Bill Demong, coach, Gold Medal, In the News, Johnny Spillane, Nordic Combined, Olympics, Silver Medal, Tom Steitz
Congratulations Tom! I remember way back when you were just starting with coaching, before you even started with USST. And those dark days in the late 1980s. Have been watching the program get better and better, and your efforts laid out a great foundation for that helped these athletes acheive their dream to win medals at the Olympics. Wow, what a story?