Fletcher embracing last shot at Olympics in Nordic combined

By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — Taylor Fletcher almost ended his Nordic combined career shortly after his third trip to the Olympics in 2018. Fletcher’s father died of Lou Gehrig’s disease, his stepfather had a near-death experience in a bike accident and he broke up with a longtime girlfriend. Fletcher bounced back mentally and kept himself physically in condition to earn another appearance on the world’s stage at the Beijing Games. The American’s potential path to the podium has been cleared a little because four of the top seven Nordic combined athletes recently tested positive for COVID-19. The first of three Nordic combined medal events begins Wednesday.