View source for Bill Demong

{{Short description|US Nordic combined skier}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Bill Demong
| image = Bill Demong at 2010 Winter Olympics 2010-02-27 2.jpg
| caption = Demong at a press conference after his victory in the [[Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Individual large hill/10 km|10 km individual large hill event]] at the [[2010 Winter Olympics]]
| fullname = William Demong 
| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|March 29, 1980}}
| birth_place = [[Saranac Lake, New York]], U.S.
| headercolor = lightsteelblue
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's [[nordic combined]]}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{Flagu|United States}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Winter Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Vancouver]] | [[Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Individual large hill/10 km|10 km large hill]]}}
{{MedalSilver|2010 Vancouver | [[Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Team large hill/4&nbsp;×&nbsp;5 km|4x5 km team]]}}
{{MedalWorldChampionships}}
{{MedalGold|[[2009 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|2009 Liberec]]|[[Nordic combined at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009|10 km large hill]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|2007 Sapporo]]|[[Nordic combined at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007|15 km gundersen]]}}
{{MedalBronze|2009 Liberec|10 km normal hill}}
{{MedalBronze | [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013|2013 Val di Flemme]] | [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 – Team normal hill/4 × 5 km|Team normal hill]]}}
}}

'''William Demong''' (born March 29, 1980, in [[Vermontville, New York]]) is an American former [[Nordic combined]] skier and Olympic gold medalist. Demong is a five-time Olympian, having competed in Nagano, Salt Lake City, Torino, Vancouver and Sochi.

==Career==
Demong competed at the World Cup level starting in 1997.

His first World Cup victory came in 2002 in ([[Liberec]], Czech Republic). Two more in 2007, ([[Lahti]], Finland: March 9;<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurosport.com/nordiccombinedskii/lahti/2006-2007/sport_sto1111328.shtml|title=Speed DeMong wins at Lahti|last=Walker|first=Lee|date=March 9, 2007|website=Eurosport.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312131535/http://www.eurosport.com/nordiccombinedskii/lahti/2006-2007/sport_sto1111328.shtml|archive-date=March 12, 2007|access-date=February 13, 2018}}</ref> [[Trondheim]], Norway: December 8). He also has three victories in World Cup B events in the United States in 2004 and 2005 as well. In the 2008 season Bill had one victory in Ramsau am Dachstein in the 2008 season but his first real banner year occurred in 2009 when Bill racked up five World Cup victories and took third in the overall World Cup standings. Heading into the 2009–2010 season, Demong had nine World Cup victories and numerous top-tens.

At the [[2002 Winter Olympics]], in [[Salt Lake City]], Demong placed fourth in the 4&nbsp;×&nbsp;5&nbsp;km team event and 14th in the 7.5&nbsp;km event.

Demong won a complete set of medals at the [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships]] with a gold (10&nbsp;km individual large hill: [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009|2009]]), a silver (15&nbsp;km individual: [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007|2007]]), and a bronze (10&nbsp;km individual normal hill: 2009).

Demong retired in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2015/07/retirement-party-for-bill-demong/|title=Retirement party for Bill Demong|publisher=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|date=2015-07-13}}</ref>

===2010 Winter Olympics===
[[File:2010 Winter Olympics Bill Demong in nordic combined LH10km.jpg|thumb|left|Bill Demong skating to victory in the [[Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Individual large hill/10 km|10 km individual large hill]] event at the [[2010 Winter Olympics]]]]
{{see also|Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Winter Olympics}}
Demong skied the final lap for the United States team consisting of [[Johnny Spillane]], [[Todd Lodwick]] and [[Brett Camerota]] in the team large hill/4x5 km, winning the silver medal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Olympics/2010/0223/US-Nordic-combined-team-wins-historic-silver-at-Vancouver-Olympics|title=US Nordic combined team wins historic silver at Vancouver Olympics|author=Christa Case Bryant|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|date=2010-02-23}}</ref>

In the [[Nordic combined at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Individual large hill/10 km|10 km individual large hill]], Demong won gold.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/nordic-combined/resultsandschedules/event=NCM690000/index.html|title=Individual large hill results|date=2010-02-25}}</ref> Demong is the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in a nordic event.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=a8ZS2UYSnDxI|title=Demong Wins First Nordic Combined Gold Medal for U.S.|author=Erik Matuszewski|publisher=Bloomberg |date=2010-02-25}}</ref>

After the medal ceremony held later that evening for the 10&nbsp;km individual large hill event, Demong proposed to his girlfriend, [[Katie Koczynski]], in front of teammates and coaches at the team headquarters near [[Vancouver]].<ref name=yhoo022710>[https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Hours-after-gold-medal-win-U-S-skier-proposes-;_ylt=Avv.w1Qjw0vxx6Rfe3DEocWGsbV_?urn=oly,224539 "Hours after gold medal, U.S. skier proposes to girlfriend".] – Chris Chase Yahoo! Sports February 26, 2010 article Retrieved February 27, 2010.</ref> Koczynski said yes.<ref name=yhoo022710 /> Also on that same day, Demong found out he was named the flagbearer for the [[United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics|American team]] at the [[2010 Winter Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremony]] of the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 28.<ref name=yhoo022710 /> It was Demong's teammate, Spillane, who gave Demong the courage to propose to his future wife.<ref name=yhoo022710 /> Demong and his fiancée discussed how this happened on [[NBC]]'s ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today]]'' show the following morning.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100228182713/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35600802/ns/today-today_in_vancouver/ "Olympic rings to engagement ring for skier".] – Mike Celizic msnbc.com ''Today'' February 26, 2010 article Retrieved February 27, 2010.</ref> On July 11, 2010, Demong married Koczynski in [[Lake Placid, New York]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/fashion/weddings/11KOCZYNSKI.html?ref=weddings | work=The New York Times | title=Katie Koczynski and Bill Demong | date=July 10, 2010}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Demong learned to jump through the New York Ski Educational Foundation (NYSEF).  He attended the [[National Sports Academy (Lake Placid, New York)|National Sports Academy]] during high school, and competed in the Nagano Olympics during his senior year.

In 2009, Demong began appearing in [[Alka-Seltzer]] Plus television commercials as part of the medication's sponsorship of the [[U.S. Ski Team]].

His mother is a Korean-American retired chorus teacher from [[Saranac Lake High School]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/527499/Helen-Demong--an-Adirondack-woman-who-opens-doors.html?nav=5048|title=Helen Demong: an Adirondack woman who opens doors|last=Lewis|first=Randy|date=November 2, 2011|work=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|access-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205144212/http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/527499/Helen-Demong--an-Adirondack-woman-who-opens-doors.html?nav=5048|archive-date=February 5, 2016}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
<!-- Michael Demong, Bill's nephew currently residing in Syracuse, New York who provided information in constructing this page. In 2009 William Madden Added additional information including Bill's more recent accomplishments   -->

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bill Demong}}
* {{FIS Nordic combined skier|13181}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929090858/http://www.usskiteam.com/public/team.php?sN=2&pJ=4&dId=4&aId=150 U.S. Ski Team Biography]

{{Footer Olympic Champions NK Sprint}}
{{Footer World Champions NK Sprint}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demong, Bill}}
[[Category:1980 births]]
[[Category:American male Nordic combined skiers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 1998 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 2002 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 2006 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 2010 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 2014 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic Nordic combined skiers for the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in Nordic combined]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in Nordic combined]]
[[Category:People from Franklin County, New York]]
[[Category:FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in Nordic combined]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:American sportspeople of Korean descent]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]