Norwegians set 1-2-3 in Nordic

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado (UPI): Knut Tore Apeland took command early during the 15-kilometer race Tuesday and went on to lead a 1-2-3 sweep for Norway in the nordic combined World Cup season opener.

Apeland, the silver medalist in combined at the 1993 World Championships and a member of Norway's silver-medal relay team in the 1992 Olympics, '93 Worlds and '94 Olympics, was fourth in the normal hill jumping portion of the meet at Howelsen Hill. In the 15-km he finished 4.6 seconds ahead of Bjarte Engen Vik, who was fifth in jumping.

Olympic champion Fred Borre Lundberg, the 1991 World Cup champion who has trained in this ranching and resort town during the offseason a couple of times, was third. He was seventh in jumping and broke away from three Japanese skiers in the last three kilometers to finish third, 1:11.3 behind Apeland.

In a rare one-day meet, Japanese skiers took the next three spots: Olympic silver medalist Takanori Kono was fourth, reigning World Cup champion Kenji Ogiwara was fifth and his twin brother, Tsuguhara Ogiwara -- the jumping leader -- finished sixth in the field of 45.