Full Team USA into Jump Medal Round
By Tom Kelly
February, 8 2018
Kevin Bickner soars through the dark night sky to qualify for Saturday's normal hill ski jumping medal round. (Getty Images-Lars Baron)
For the first time since 1998, Team USA qualified all four athletes into an Olympic ski jumping medal round. Kevin Bickner (Wauconda, Ill.) led the way in Thursday’s qualifying soaring 114.0 meters to finish 25th. He will be joined in Saturday night’s competition by teammates Michael Glasder (Cary, Ill.), Will Rhoads (Park City, Utah) and junior Casey Larson (Barrington, Ill.).
“You can definitely see the progress our team is making,” said Bickner. “It’s cool to see all four of our guys make the medal event.”
The last time Team USA had four me in a medal round was the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, before the current qualifying process was in place. Saturday’s medal event will begin at 9:35 p.m. at the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre.