Frenzel leads large hill event after jumps

Krasnaya Polyana, Russia (SportsNetwork.com) - Germany's Eric Frenzel will be looking for his second Nordic combined gold medal of the Sochi Olympics after taking the lead through jumps Tuesday in the large hill event.

Frenzel had a jump of 139.5 meters -- the longest of the 46 competitors -- and a score of 129.0 to earn an eight-second head start on Haavard Klemetsen of Norway going into the 10-kilometer cross country skiing race.

Austria's Bernhard Gruber was third and will start 22 seconds after Frenzel, who won the normal hill event last week.

Normal hill silver medalist Akito Watanabe of Japan will start 33 seconds after Frenzel along with 2010 normal hill Olympic champion Jason Lamy Chappuis of France.

Bill Demong won the event four years ago for the first-ever U.S. Olympic gold medal in Nordic combined and teammate Johnny Spillane was second in a shocking result at the Vancouver Games that won't be repeated.

American medal hopes withered in the jump. Bryan Fletcher was the top U.S. finisher in 27th place and will start the cross country race 1 minute and 59 seconds after the leader.

Opening ceremony flag bearer Todd Lodwick was 30th, Taylor Fletcher was 35th and Demong placed 38th out of 46 jumpers.