Lambiel wins Nebelhorn Trophy, secures spot for Switzerland at Vancouver Olympics

Win puts Lambiel on track for Vancouver

OBERSTDORF, Germany — Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel is a step closer to the Vancouver Games.

Lambiel, making a comeback after retiring a year ago, earned Switzerland a spot in the Olympic field Friday night with a win at the Nebelhorn Trophy. No Swiss skater had finished high enough at the recent world championships to earn one of the initial spots, meaning Lambiel had to finish sixth or better at Nebelhorn.

Swiss rules now require that Lambiel score 195 points or better in two competitions, but that shouldn’t be a problem. He routinely scores 200 points or above, and finished with 232.36 at Nebelhorn.

Ivan Tretiakov of Russia was second, followed by Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic. American Ryan Bradley was fourth.