Vermontville, NY, Feb 26, 2010 — Vermontville's Bill Demong gave the United States its first Olympic gold medal ever in a Nordic event as Americans posted a 1-2 finish in the Nordic Combined ski event at the Vancouver Olympics yesterday. Teammate Johnny Spillane captured the silver.
Demong surged from sixth place after the ski jump to win the 10-kilometer cross-country leg by four seconds. Bernhard Gruber of Austria, who had a head start after jumping the farthest off the large hill, took the bronze.

Demong will be flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at the Olympic closing ceremony Sunday.