WHISTLER, British Columbia — Jason Lamy Chappuis, the World Cup leader in Nordic combined, and his fellow Frenchmen spent the week leading up to the Vancouver Games training with the Americans in Park City, Utah.

He felt right at home making his first jumps on snow-covered U.S. soil – as well he should.

Chappuis, 23, was born in Missoula, Mont., the son of a French father and an American mother.

He first sped down the slopes in the Rocky Mountains at 18 months, albeit on his father's back. At 3 1/2, he skied his first Alpine race at Copper Mountain, Colo., where his parents were both ski instructors."

And more from Wikipedia:

"Jason Lamy-Chappuis (born September 9, 1986 in Missoula, Montana, USA) is a French athlete who has competed in Nordic combined ski events since 2002, choosing to represent France. He has participated in both the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics, and won a gold medal in the 10 km individual normal hill at the 2010 Olympics inVancouver.

Before Vancouver, Lamy-Chappuis won two bronze medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski. Championships 2009 inLiberec, in both the 10 km individual large-hill and 10 km mass-start events.

He also won two World Cup events at Kuusamo and Sapporo in 2006. He is a member of the Bois d'Amont ski club in the French department of Jura.

Lamy-Chappuis participated in and won the 7.5 km sprint event at the 2007 Holmenkollen ski festival."