The lead changed four times in the last half of the relay's final leg Tuesday. The American stepped past the Austrian on the uphill portions, and the Austrian glided past the American on the downhill portions. The last corner of the Nordic combined team event was hard to the right and downhill. The American Bill Demong, in his fourth Olympics, lost his grip on the lead, and the Austrian Mario Stecher charged to the finish line 5.2 seconds ahead for the gold medal. But with the snow falling and the Americans smiling, taking pictures and waving flags, it was easy to see just what a big-picture moment this was for the United States. Demong and two of his teammates, Todd Lodwick and Johnny Spillane, arrived having competed in a combined nine Winter Olympics without having won a medal. These games have represented a tectonic shift in the sport's foundation. In an individual event last week, the United States had three of the top six finishers, led by Spillane, the silver medalist. On Tuesday, the Americans squeezed four on the podium, silver medalists in the team event, which consists of ski jumping in the morning and a cross-country relay in the afternoon. 'I've been dreaming of this medal for, God, since my first Olympic Games -- even before that as a teen,' said Lodwick, a 33-year-old in his fifth Olympics. The Austrians won in a time of 49 minutes 31.6 seconds, and Germany earned bronze. Lodwick and his teammates were thrilled to find themselves between such perennial powers. 'I think there's a lot of tears going on right now with us,' he said. 'And I can't wait to shed them on the podium tonight.' A decade ago, the suggestion that the Americans would become a Nordic combined power would have been laughable. But a solid foundation of athletes and a focused push, including a financial one, leading into the 2002 Salt Lake Games nudged the program forward. The United States won three of four gold medals at last year's world championships and arrived here as a strong medal favorite. On Tuesday, the Americans received a strong start in the ski race from Brett Camerota, 25, a first-time Olympian. Starting two seconds behind Finland, the jumping leader, in the 4x5-kilometer relay, Camerota handed off a lead to Lodwick. It quickly was apparent that the Americans and the Austrians would race for gold. Lodwick and David Kreiner finished the second leg less than a second apart. Spillane managed to keep Austria's Felix Gottwald in his sights, but Demong began the final leg with a 14.1-second deficit. The 'hunter position,' Demong called it. Demong felt he had something to prove. At last year's world championships, where Demong won one of the individual events, he temporarily lost his bib during the jumping portion of the team competition and he was disqualified, ruining a bid by the United States for a medal. But at his fourth Olympics, Demong quickly halved Stecher's lead, then pulled within two seconds to start the second of two laps. Away from the stadium filled with fans, on a long uphill climb, Demong, 29, powered past Stecher. The lead switched on a downhill portion before Demong fought ahead on the last uphill stretch. 'I gave it everything I had, and hoped to open up a gap of four or five seconds to be able to hold onto the finish,' Demong said. 'I was like, 'I think I'm getting there, I'm getting there.' And then I hit him with my pole, and I'm like: 'Aaah! He's still here.'' He smiled, and added, 'But it was good.' 