Krasnaya Polyana, Russia (SportsNetwork.com) - Germany's Eric Frenzel posted the top score in the ski jump portion of the Nordic combined normal hill on Wednesday at the RusSki Gorki Jumping Center.
Frenzel, the last skier to jump, received a score of 131.5 points to claim the top spot heading into the cross-country portion of the event, which he will start with a six-second lead over Japan's Akito Watabe.
Russia's Evgeniy Klimov finished third in the ski jump portion and will head out 27 seconds after Frenzel, while Japan's Taihei Kato, Austria's Lukas Klapfer, Germany's Tino Edelmann and Slovenia's Marjan Jelenko will all start three seconds after Klimov.
Reigning Olympic champion Jason Lamy Chappuis of France finished just behind Jelenko in eighth and will start 31 seconds after the leader.
American Bill Demong, who won gold in the Nordic combined large hill at the Vancouver Games, posted a score of 108.2 in the ski jump and will start 1 minute, 33 seconds behind Frenzel.
Fellow American Todd Lodwick, the opening ceremony flag bearer who won silver in the team event four years ago, will start the cross-country portion one second behind Demong.
American Bryan Fletcher will start 1:44 after Frenzel, while Bryan's brother, Taylor, finished last in the ski jump portion and will head out 2:34 after the leader.
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