Two Utah National Guard members to represent USA at 2022 Winter Olympics
Jan 29, 2022, 6:25 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 4:15 pm
PARK CITY, Utah — Two Utah National Guard soldiers will be representing the United States of America in Bejing, competing in the Nordic Combined — a mixture of cross-country skiing and ski jumping.
KSL’s Morgan Wolfe caught up with them this week on how their training crosses over with their military service.
The Nordic Combined is said to be one of the most endurance-driven sports in the Winter Olympics.
“So, to have these two careers going at the same time, as well as an option when we’re done skiing, is really cool,” said Spc. Ben Loomis.
Loomis jumped on skis when he was two years old, growing up in Wisconsin.
Spc. Jasper Good hails from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where his love for winter sports was handed down from his dad — a former national freestyle coach.
Both of the athletes moved to Utah to train for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
“Our full-time job, quite simply, is being an athlete for the Army,” Good said.
Spc. Jasper Good on the ski jump. (Dustin Satloff)
Good and Loomis are part of the World Class Athlete program, which includes specialized coaching, access to state-of-the-art training venues, sports medicine treatments and physical therapy.
Around 80 athletes belong to the program, competing in the Winter and Summer Olympics.
“It really seemed like a good fit to be able take our athletics to the next level, and really commit to the sport, without a lot of the burdens you have without a program like this supporting you,” Loomis said.
“It’s really cool to see what everyone does together because, I think, it’s very much a community feel and everyone bringing each other up is super fortunate,” Good said.
A service for their country in the military, and on the worldwide sporting stage.
“I would say it’s a true honor and it’s really exciting going into these Games,” Loomis said.
Spc. Benjamin Loomis competes in the U.S. Olympic Trials
Nordic Combined. (Dustin Satloff)
“Having the double honor of representing the Army this time around is something I’m really looking forward to,” Good said.
There has been some controversy around this sport being the only Winter Olympic sport without a women’s competition.
The Olympic Committee considered an application in 2018 that would have allowed women to compete in the event in Beijing, but it was denied, pending “further development in terms of the universality and competitiveness of the event.”
