Chappuis, the pre-event favorite, had been fifth behind leader Janne Ryynaenen of Finland after the opening ski-jumping discipline, but quickly made up lost ground.

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But the U.S. typically has been weak in Winter Olympics staples like ski jumping and cross-country skiing.

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To design the suit gold medalist Billy Demong wore in Vancouver during Nordic Combined, which involves both ski jumping and cross-country, Flanagan and his team created a digital avatar of Demong's body and used computer imaging to determine the most aerodynamic pattern for stitching the suit.

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For them, the formal ski area effectively serves as a jumping-off point, a gateway to vast tracts of challenging off-piste terrain studded with cliff drops, creamy powder stashes, edge-of-your-seat steeps and wide, rolling slopes.

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