Norway’s Mikko Kokslien and Magnus Moan captured gold in the team sprint on Saturday in the Nordic Combined World Cup competition in Val di Fiemme, Italy, winning the 2 x 7.5 k race in 36:25.1.

Mikko Kokslien (NOR) leading the pack in the first leg of the men's 2 x 7.5 k team sprint at the Nordic Combined World Cup in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on Saturday. He and Magnus Moan won the event in by 9.6 seconds. (Photo: Fiemme2013)

Mikko Kokslien (l) and Magnus Moan (r) after claiming gold for Norway in the team sprint at the Nordic Combined World Cup in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on Saturday. (Photo: Fiemme2013Maxime Laheurte and Jason Lamy Chappuis of France were second, 9.6 seconds behind, and France's second team of Francois Braud and Sebastien Lacroix was third (+11.0).

The Americans had two teams in the top 10 of 16 teams, with Bryan Fletcher and Billy Demong placing sixth (+19.6) and Johnny Spillane and Taylor Fletcher finishing 10th (+1:50.4).

U.S. head coach Dave Jarrett wrote in an email that the day was an overall success with an exciting race and great jumping from all four athletes, especially with Spillane battling a sickness and not feeling 100 percent.

“Both teams were in the hunt halfway through the race,” Jarrett wrote, adding that they ran into some trouble in the narrow and crowded exchange zone.

“Billy was there at the end for the podium, but couldn’t quite match the short burst up the last hill and got dropped a bit,” he wrote. “Still two in the top 10 is a good. We know we are putting ourselves in position to podium almost every weekend but haven’t had things line up quite right yet. It is coming.”

Germany was fourth overall with Eric Frenzel and Fabian Riessle (+12.2) and Japan edged the U.S. in fifth (+18.3).

Complete results

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