LAKE PLACID, New York ??” The 2005 North American Junior Championships for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined are slated for Jan. 19-22 at the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex and Verizon Sports Complex, the NYS Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) announced Tuesday. The North American Junior Championships for Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined brings together the premier junior (19 and under) athletes from across the United States and Canada.

“We’re pleased to have these high level junior athletes jumping in Lake Placid, including the Canadians, as they move forward to compete at the Continental Cup and World Cup ???b’ events later this year,” said Dan Warner, manager of the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex.

Of the 41 athletes expected to compete, 11 are members of the Eastern Ski Jumping/Nordic Combined team. The Eastern team includes: Evan Bliss (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Willy Graves (Putney, Vt.), Jonathan Kling (Loudon, N.H.), Andrew MacEwan (Lebanon, NH), Ryan Nicholson (Hopkinton, NH), Robbie Goodwin (Keene, NY), Nick Alexander (Lebanon, N.H.) Pat Hudson (Gaysville, Vt.), Peter Freire (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Nicholas Fairall (Andover, N.H.) and Chris Lamb (Andover, N.H.). These skiers qualified for the Eastern team at the two New Year’s ski jumps in Lake Placid.

Official training begins on Thursday, Jan. 20 with jump sessions from 9 am to 1 pm and cross country training from 2 to 4 pm. The Special Jumping/Nordic Combined Team competition on the 120 meter hill is slated for Friday, Jan. 21, with the trial round kicking off at 10 am, to be followed immediately by competition rounds. The Sprint Event (2 x 5 kilometer team sprint) is set for 2:30 pm on Friday at the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex. On Saturday, Jan. 22, the individual class launches off the 90 meter hill at 10 am with the trial jump round. The cross-country race (Nordic Combined Championship ??“ Individual Gunderson event 7.5 kilometer) will follow at 2:30 pm at the Verizon Sports Complex.

Admission to the MacKenzie-Intervale Ski Jumping Complex is $8 for adults and $5 for juniors and seniors. Admission includes chairlift and elevator ride to the top of the 120 meter tower. For more information on ORDA venues and events, and for web cams from five locations, please log on to www.orda.org.