U.S. Ski Team News - Freestyle

Bahrke 3rd in Japan Duals

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

INAWASHIRO, Japan (March 7) - Olympic bronze medalist Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) took to the podium again Sunday, notching a third place in Japan during a World Cup dual moguls competition riddled with heavy fog and delays. The men's event was canceled.

"It's been crazy all week. We haven't been able to see while we're training. Today we got up there at 9:45 and weren't able to ski until 2:30," Bahrke said. "But I just put down the best podium I could and I got third."

For Bahrke, who plans to retire following this season, to be able to succeed on such a challenging course on her last competition in Japan was a reward.

"This course, I have always had so much respect for it because it is the hardest course on tour. I think I podiumed here once," Bahrke said. "To be here for the last time in my career here in Japan and to have a podium is cool. I brought a little bit of that Olympic spirit here."

Bahrke was third on the course in Japan during a moguls competition in 2001.

The World Cup was won by Japan's Aiko Uemura, who had the fastest run of the day. Canada's silver medalist in the sport, Jennifer Heil, took second place while Bahrke went head-to-head with teammate Heather McPhie (Bozeman, MT), who landed in fourth.

According to U.S. Moguls Coach Garth Hagar, Bahrke and McPhie were forced to sit in the start gate for over an hour, awaiting the fog to clear the course. Given the warmer temperature, fog and the technicality of the course itself, Hagar said it was an accomplishment for Bahrke to ace hr run - her first completion of the course since landing in Japan.

"This is the most challenging course due to the steepness and changing conditions," Hagar said. "Shannon said she was happy to ski her first top to bottom for her contest run."

Other U.S. women skied notably well with Eliza Outtrim (Steamboat Springs, CO) landing 11th and Laurel Shanley (Squaw Valley, CA) finishing 14th.

The men's competition was looking strong for the U.S. with Olympic bronze medalist Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) sitting in second when, with only 15 skiers left to complete the competition, officials were forced to cancel the competition due to foggy conditions.

"Bryon Wilson had his best run of the week landing him in second," Hagar said. "It's too bad we couldn't get a 20 minute window to finish. It is a long way to travel not for it to count."

The men, along with the women, will have another shot at competing on the World Cup when freestyle moguls heads to Are, Sweden on March 12. The series wraps up the following weekend in Spain.

"The athletes looking forward to Sweden and some wintery conditions," Hagar said.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 FIS Freestyle World Cup
Inawashiro, Japan - March 7, 2010
Dual Moguls

Women
1. Aiko Uemura, Japan, 23.00
2. Jennifer Heil, Canada, 22.73
3. Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City, CA, 22.20
4. Heather McPhie, Bozeman, MT, 21.45
5. Margarita Marbler, Austria, 20.84
-
11. Eliza Outtrim, Steamboat Springs, CO, 18.33
14. Laurel Shanley, Squaw Valley, CA, 17.00
# # #

Teller Tops U.S. in Ski Cross

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

BRANAS, Sweden (March 6) - U.S. athlete John Teller (Mammoth Lakes, CA) had a landmark day on the World Cup, finishing 11th to mark a career best ski cross finish in Sweden.

Teller's previous best finish was this season during the World Cup at the Nature Valley Freestyle Cup in Lake Placid when he finished 20th.

"Ever since Lake Placid he's been figuring out stuff and getting more confident," U.S. Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd said. "He carried all his momentum over there and qualified ninth, and to get 11th means he moved to the first round and he's skiing solid."

Michael Schmid of Switzerland won the World Cup in Sweden, followed in second by Canadian Chris DelBosco and Andreas Matt of Austria in third.

Biche Rudigoz (Ketchum, ID) followed Teller for the U.S., finishing 43rd.

In the women's competition Ophelie David of France won, followed in second by Aleisha Cline of Canada and Fanny Smith of Switzerland in third. No U.S. women competed.

The ski cross World Cup circuit continues in Grindelwald, Switzerland March 11.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 FIS FREESTYLE WORLD CUP
Branas, Sweden - March 6, 2010
Ski Cross

Men
1. Michael Schmid, Switzerland
2. Chris DelBosco, Canada
3. Andreas Matt, Austria
4. Conradign Netzer, Switzerland
5. Xavier Kuhn, France
-
11. John Teller, Mammoth Lakes, CA
43. Biche Rudigoz, Ketchum, ID
49. Patrick Duran, Fayston, VT

Women
1. Ophelie David, France
2. Aleisha Cline, Canada
3. Fanny Smith, Switzerland
4. Karin Huttary, Austria
5. Marte Hoeie Gjefsen, Norway
# # #

World Cup Moguls Postponed

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

INAWASHIRO, Japan (March 6) - Heavy fog forced the delay of the World Cup moguls competition in Japan on Saturday. Organizers plan to run the event Sunday morning prior to the dual moguls event scheduled for the day.

Olympic bronze medalists Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) and Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) are set to ski in Japan, which will be their first post-Olympic competition. Gold medalist Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) took the weekend off, but will compete in Sweden next week.

Kloser, Zemba Front U.S.

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (Mar. 5) - Friday's URTUR NorAm Cup dual moguls event wraped up the season. Canada's Eddie Hicks won the men's competition, with Bryan Zemba (Croton-on-Hudson, Ny) in second. Heidi Kloser (Vail, CO) topped the women's field.

Hicks was joined by two U.S. athletes on the podium with Zemba in second and Joseph Discoe (Telluride, CO) in third. Bradley Wilson (Park City, UT) snuck into the top five in fifth.

Kloser leds the women's competition followed by Canada Chelsea Henituck in second and Alison Digravio (Farmington, ME) in third. Whitney Henceroth (Dillon, CO) was just shy of the podium in fourth.

Friday's race concluded the NorAm moguls competition for the 2010 season.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
NorAm Cup
Steamboat Springs, CO
March 5, 2010
Dual Moguals

Men

1. Eddie Hicks, Canada
2. Bryan Zemba, Croton-on-Hudson, NY
3. Joseph Discoe, Telluride, CO
4. Simon Pouliot Cavanagh, Canada
5. Bradley Wilson, Park City, UT
-
6. Michael Degrandis, Solon, OH
7. Robert Burden, Saint Marys, PA
8. Reed Snyderman, Winchester, MA
10. Troy Tully, Pleasentvile, NY
11. Jay Panther, Park City, UT
14. Robert Carroll, Park CIty, UT
15. Nathan Park, Davis, CA

Women

1. Heidi Kloser, Vail, CO
2. Chelsea Henituck, Canada
3. Alison Digravio, Farmington, ME
4. Whitney Henceroth, Dillon, CO
5. Jackie Brown, Canada
-
8. Lindsey Cannon, Telluride, CO
9. Mikaela Matthews, Frisco, CO
10. Brittany Loweree, Point Lookout, NY
11. Rebecca Miller, Monument, CO
13. Alyssa Lawson, Boulder, CO
14. Aspen Witt, Saratoga Springs, NY
15. K C Oakley, Piedmont, CA
# # #

Discoe, Matthews Lead U.S.

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:00:00 MST

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO (Mar. 4) – The moguls NorAm Cup finals officially began on Thursday in Steamboat Springs, CO with two Canadians leading the way. Joseph Discoe (Telluride, CO) and Mikaela Matthews (Frisco, CO) were the top U.S. competitors, both finishing in second.

Canada's Mikael Kingsbury won the competition on the men's side. Discoe, a U.S. Freestyle Ski Team member, snuck in to take second ahead of Kingbury's fellow countryman Marc-Antoi Gagnon.

The women's competition was also led by another Canadian, Chelsea Henitiuk. Matthews trailed Henitiuk by less than three tenths of a point. Canada grabbed the final spot on the podium with J. Dufour-Lapointe in third.

The moguls NorAm Cup finals competition will continue in Steamboat Springs on Friday.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
NorAm Cup
Steamboat Springs, CO
March 4, 2010
Moguls

Men

1. Mikael Kingsbury, Canada, 26.02
2. Joseph Discoe, Telluride, CO, 25.50
3. Marc-Antoi Gagnon, Canada, 24.74
4. Robert Burden, Saint Marys, PA, 23.82
5. Michael Degrandis, Solon, OH, 23.73
-
6. Reed Snyderman, Winchester, MA, 23.70
7. Jay Panther, Park City, UT, 23.64
8. Bradley Wilson, Park City, UT, 23.23
9. Nicholas Keating, Waitsfield, VT, 23.06
12. Ryan Reilly, Park City, UT, 21.92
13. Bryan Zemba, Croton-on-Hudson, NY, 21.79
14. Kyle Jordan, San Rafael, CA, 21.35
15. Robert Carroll, Park City, UT, 18.35

Women

1. Chelsea Henitiuk, Canada, 23.53
2. Mikaela Matthews, Firsco, CO, 23.26
3. J. Dufour-Lapointe, Canada, 23.06
4. Jackie Brown, Canada, 23.03
5. Whitney Henceroth, Dillon, CO, 22.46
-
7. Aspen Witt, Saratoga Springs, NY, 22.25
8. Annie Serra, Park City, UT, 21.91
9. Rebecca Miller, Monument, CO, 21.19
10. Lindsey Cannon, Telluride, CO, 21.10
11. Brittany Loweree, Point Lookout, NY, 21.10
12. K C Oakley, Piedmont, CA, 21.01
13. Alyssa Lawson, Boulder, CO, 20.56
14. Alissa Pinkoski, Sudbury, MA, 19.48
15. Kayla Burcin, Basking Ridge, NJ, 18.31
# # #

Kearney Tours Schools With Gold

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

NORWICH, VT (Feb. 27) – Olympic champion Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT) brought her moguls gold medal home on Friday, parading through two separate towns where she attended school as a youth.

In Norwich, VT, and Hanover, NH, Kearney showed elementary, middle and high-school students the first gold medal won by the U.S. in Vancouver. The medals won by Kearney and Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) in moguls on opening ignited a firestorm of athletic success for the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding in Vancouver.

"To have a welcome like this means that much more," said Kearney .

Kearney was born in Hanover, went to elementary school in nearby Norwich, then returned to Hanover for middle and high school while still living in Norwich.

February 26 was declared Hannah Kearney Day by Vermont governor Jim Douglas.

"I can't believe it's Hannah Kearney Day," Kearney said. "That is something I've never dreamed of."

Kearney will take a short break at home, skipping next weekend's World Cup event in Japan, before returning to final competitions in Sweden and Spain.

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'Hurricane' Lands Silver for Speedy

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 25) – Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID) delivered on his promise, landing the much-anticipated "Hurricane" and getting a silver medal to show for it Thursday night at Cypress Mountain. Belarusian Alexei Grishin edged out Peterson for gold, while Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) finished just outside the medals in fourth.

"I know that a lot of people go through a lot of things in their life, and I just want them to realize they can overcome anything," a teary-eyed Peterson said. "There's light at the end of the tunnel, and mine was silver and I love it."

Hard to believe, but there was calm before the 50-foot, quintuple-twisting, triple-flipping storm.

"I was abnormally calm," Peterson said. "I don't know why I was so calm. I have been all week. I've been having fun. I've been hanging out with my family and my friends. I couldn't have painted this picture any better."

After ranking fifth in the first round, Peterson needed to gain considerable ground in the finale for any hopes at a medal. Luckily, he had just the trick, earning the night's highest score with a 128.6 by landing his signature jump. Peterson vaulted into first with four aerialists left, and only Grishin was left high and dry – clinging to gold by 1.2 points.

"Right when I landed it, yeah, I knew that I'd be up on the podium," he said. "I'm not going to even start taking my jump apart because, as an athlete, you're a perfectionist, and you could do that till tomorrow. But I'm patting myself on the back and thanking every single person that's ever done something for me. I couldn't do it without all of them."

It is the third U.S. medal in men's aerials, with Eric Bergoust winning gold in Nagano and Joe Pack taking silver in Salt Lake. Peterson was seventh after landing the Hurricane – albeit somewhat unsteadily – in Torino.

Peterson said this medal redeems him, and reminds him what he's capable of when he gives it everything he has.

"I've really changed things around in the last three and a half, three and three-quarters years, and this is my medal for everything that I've overcome."

Zhongqing Liu of China held off St. Onge for bronze by 2.6 points, after the World Champion ratcheted up the standings from eighth to fourth with an immaculate second jump for a score of 124.66.

"I jumped terrible in training," St. Onge said. "It was just all those little details, putting it together in contest, trying to make good decisions, trying to make great speed choices, getting a little bit lucky and focusing on all the right details. All of that was a work in progress, and finally it kind of all came together."

St. Onge said he was in awe of his teammate's accomplishment and thrilled not only for his success but for pushing the sport's boundaries.

"I can't believe he did it," he said. "It's just an amazing feat to stick full triple full full. The thing is, is that I think every athlete out here knew he was going to do it. It was just amazing."

Peterson said the full weight of his first Olympic medal had yet to set in out on the course.

"I think when I hug my mom, it's gonna hit me."

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 25
Men's Aerials Final

Gold – Alexei Grishin, Belarus, 248.41
Silver – Jeret Peterson, Boise, ID
Bronze – Zhongqing Liu, China, 242.53
4. Ryan St. Onge, Winter Park, CO, 239.93
5. Kyle Nissen, Canada, 239.31
###

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Schnoor Tops U.S. In 9th

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 24) – Australia's Lydia Lassila won women's aerials gold Thursday, sticking two of the night's most difficult jumps for a score of 214.74 as China's Nina Li and Xinxin Guo claimed silver and bronze. Lacy Schnoor (Draper, UT) led three U.S. finalists in ninth. Ashley Caldwell (Hamilton, VA) followed in 10th, with Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) taking 11th.

"It's the Olympics and I made the finals and landed two jumps in the finals," said Schnoor, who won the Olympic Trials. "I couldn't ask for more.

"It's been such an exciting experience. Being around the most awesome athletes has been the most exciting thing for me. I don't know if this is my last Olympics, we'll see, but this one is probably the best."

Schnoor said she will compete another year and see how she feels for a run at Sochi in 2014. Also making a decision about whether to vie for another Games will be three-time Olympian Emily Cook, who made her first final despite nursing a heel injury.

Cook slapped back on her first jump but stuck her second to walk out with her head held high.

"It's a two-jump contest always, and you have to do your best on every jump," Cook said. "I was disappointed of course with my first jump, so I had the opportunity to put down one more good one, and I’m very happy that I did that."

Caldwell, just 16 years old, stomped two consistent jumps in her first Olympic action, even if she was already looking ahead to her next chance at the podium.

"I'm looking forward to more World Cup competitions and Sochi," Caldwell said. "My coach told me I wasn't allowed to think ahead until the competition was over, but once I landed, I immediately started thinking about Sochi."

It was the first time American women appeared in the aerials finals since 1998 in Nagano, when Nikki Stone won gold.

Schnoor said the opportunity to compete with her teammates was the highlight for her.

"It was so fun," she said. "We train together and have been together the last eight years, so just to have this experience is a good one for me."

The men's aerials final begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow, with Jeret Peterson (Boise, ID) and Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) representing Team USA.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park – Feb. 24
Women's Aerials Finals

Gold – Lydia Lassila, Australia, 214.74
Silver – Nina Li, China, 207.23
Bronze – Xinxin Guo, China, 205.22
4. Assoli Slivets, Belarus, 198.69
5. Jacqui Cooper, Australia, 194.29
-
9. Lacy Schnoor, Sandy, UT, 172.89
10. Ashley Caldwell, Hamilton, VA, 171.10
11. Emily Cook, Belmont, MA, 148.92
###

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St. Onge Qualifies 2nd, Peterson 5th

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 22) – World Champion Ryan St. Onge (Winter Park, CO) qualified No. 2 overall for Thursday night's men's aerials final, while solid jumps from Jeret "Speedy" Peterson (Boise, ID) landed him fifth.

St. Onge scored a 122.57 on his first jump and a 118.10 on his second to trail only China's Zongyang Jia with 229.67 points on a clear, cold evening at Cypress Mountain.

Despite struggles in the World Cup this season, where his best finish is 13th, St. Onge said he has had the best jumps of his life in training this season. Monday night finally saw him transfer his training progress to the competition rounds.

"The training days went well, but not jumping to the par that I want to be and need to be," St. Onge said. "This afternoon during training, I came out and made those adjustments. Those adjustments set in perfectly, and I just felt confident and ready to come out and do nice jumps, and it happened."

Peterson went 119.47 and 117.87 on the same high degree of difficulty jumps as St. Onge – no Hurricane just yet.

"I've been having a really tough week," Peterson said. "I was not jumping the way I wanted to, I was not landing jumps the way I wanted to, but that's the one big thing that I've learned being a veteran is that it's not over until it's over.

"I couldn't be happier. It's exactly where I want to be. It's perfect."

Peterson said that he'll throw the much-awaited Hurricane if the conditions are right, whether or not he thinks he needs it to win.

"I don't have to, but I want to," he said. "That's just my personality. Go big or go home, baby."

Belarusian World Cup leader Anton Kushnir bowed out of the competition after falling on his second jump, stunning the crowd of 9,000.

"I was completely surprised when I heard the crowd react the way that they did after his jump, because it looked almost perfect from the top," Peterson said. "I feel bad because he's an amazing person. I really like him as a guy and scares the hell out of you as a jumper."

Matt DePeters (Hamburg, NY) was five spots out of the top 12 with a combined score of 202.48, landing his jumps but getting docked for degree of difficulty in his first taste of Olympic experience. His spirits were high, however.

"I haven't had more fun in my entire life," DePeters said. "Just the whole experience of everything and then to come out tonight and put two jumps down, just so happy right now."

Scotty Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) struggled on the landings of his difficult jumps and was 23rd. His return to Cypress Mountain came as a surprise after watching sister Shannon win the bronze in women's moguls. Teammate Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) was forced to stay home after complications from a recent appendectomy, and Bahrke was first on the list to take his spot.

"I'd stopped working out a little bit because I didn't think I was going to be here, but I got back into shape within a couple of days and everything felt great," he said.

After failing to medal in 2006 for the only time in Olympic competition, the U.S. men will go for gold in men's aerials Thursday at 6 p.m. PT.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 22
Men's Aerials Qualifications

1. Zongyang Jia, China, 242.52
2. Ryan St. Onge, Winter Park, CO, 240.67
3. Thomas Lambert, Switzerland, 238.33
4. Dmitri Dashinski, Belarus, 238.33
5. Jeret Peterson, Boise, ID, 237.34
-
17. Matt DePeters, Hamburg, NY, 202.48
23. Scotty Bahrke, Tahoe City, CA, 169.72
###

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Ski Cross Makes Debut at Games

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 21) - Switzerland's Michael Schmid made his mark on Olympic history Sunday, notching a win in the debut of ski cross at the 2010 Games. Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) and Daron Rahlves' (Sugar Bowl, CA) finished 23rd and 28th, respectively.

Under blue bird skies just west of Vancouver, crowds ranging from the home country, to Jamaica packed the stands to see the sport's first appearance in the Olympic Games, and they were not disappointed with the outcome as the day was packed with high speed, big air and game-changing crashes.

Of those involved in the latter, Rahlves' spill off the second-to-last jump during the first round was particularly exciting. The alpine master, who was sitting second in his heat at the time, went down on his back only to get back on his feet and make a photo finish of the race, of which he was unfortunately on the wrong end.

"I never have regrets. I’m out there having fun. I still had fun today. The ultimate is just to love what you do and go out there and give it a shot," Rahlves said.

Rahlves, who was just off an injury sustained to his hip, said that he felt prepared for Sunday's race.

"I felt ready to roll. Today was the outcome I didn’t really expect it. I thought I was going to be moving through to the finals," Rahlves said. "I felt great. I’ve been skiing hard and as of yesterday I had zero pain in the hip. I was still doing physical therapy every morning. To be back this way three weeks after dislocating my hip was a pretty outstanding recovery."

Puckett, who also had an injury, but in his shoulder, was unable to generate enough speed for the holeshot, which he believes cost him on Sunday.

"The start is really important and I wasn’t able to get out of the start really well," Puckett said. "There’s a little bit of apprehension when I’m going down a course like that—huge air coming down from pretty high heights. There’s nothing else I could have done. I did everything I could. I’m proud I was able to make it here, and I laid it out there."

After also going out in the first round like his teammate, Puckett reflected on what it took to get him to Vancouver.

One month ago I was on the operating table. I’ve done everything I can to get healthy and get here to do a good performance. I don’t think I was ready. I was ready as I could be. My shoulder wasn’t that painful, but I just didn’t have the power to get out of the gate.”

Women's ski cross has its turn to make its first Olympic appearance on Tuesday as the 2010 Games in Vancouver continue.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC - Feb. 21, 2010
Men's Ski Cross

Gold: Michael Schmid, Switzerland
Silver: Andreas Matt, Austria
Bronze: Audun Groenvold, Norway
4. Chris DelBosco, Canada
5. Enak Gavaggio, France
-
23. Casey Puckett, Aspen, CO
28. Daron Rahlves, Sugar Bowl, CA
# # #

U.S. Qualifies 3 in Women's Aerials

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 20) – The U.S. Olympic Team qualified three of four aerialists for Wednesday's finals, marking the first time an American woman will appear in the finals since 1998 in Nagano when Nikki Stone won gold.

"I'm psyched about where we are right now, and I think we've got a good shot at a medal," said Freestyle Head Coach Jeff Wintersteen.

Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) qualified fifth with a score of 180.25, earning her first finals in three Olympic trips – despite lightened training to recover from a bruised heel.

"Every day's a new day," Cook said. "I haven't trained much in the last six weeks, so I was really just relying on all my training from all of the years past. I'm very, very thankful to have put down two solid jumps."

Cook, who won a World Cup in Moscow two years ago, was conservative in the qualifications and plans to step it up in Wednesday's medals round.

"I'm going to up my degree of difficulty (in the final). I downgraded a little bit today, just because of the amount of training time I had."

Olympic Trials winner Lacy Schnoor (Sandy, UT) was sixth with a 169.51, while 16-year-old Ashley Caldwell (Hamilton, VA) made the transition from elite gymnast to world-class aerialist look easy despite the pressure of jumping first.

"I think being first kind of helped because I got it out of the way," she said after taking the 12th and final spot. "I didn't have time to think about it, but also jumping was fresh in my mind. I had just done a really sweet full double full, so I had it ready to go.

"The landing wasn't exactly how I wanted, but I'll take it."

Jana Lindsey (Black Hawk, SD) struggled on her first jump and missed out on finals in 17th.

"It is disappointing," she said. "Obviously you want to be in that top-12 position. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do that my first jump the way I wanted to."

Finals start Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. PT.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Whistler Olympic Park – Feb. 20
Women's Aerials Qualifications

1. Alla Tsuper, Belarus, 195.76
2. Nina Li, China, 192.10
3. Xinxin Guo, China, 189.16
4. Shuang Cheng, China, 180.91
5. Emily Cook, Belmont, MA, 180.25
6. Lacy Schnoor, Sandy, UT, 169.51
-
12. Ashley Caldwell, Hamilton, VA, 162.34
17. Jana Lindsey, Black Hawk, SD, 151.69
###

Puckett, Rahlves Feeling Strong

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

VANCOUVER, BC (Feb. 18) – Coming to the Games just weeks removed from injuries, Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) and Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) were proud just to have made their fifth and fourth Olympics, respectively. Successful therapies and the successes of their U.S. teammates now have them reaching even higher.

"Team USA is pulling these medals down left and right," Rahlves said. "We've had some great success with the Snowboard Team and the Alpine Team. It's right there in our grasp. It's reality."

The pair, both former members of the U.S. Alpine Ski Team, trained in Rahlves' hometown at an on-snow camp in Sugar Bowl, giving each other much-needed confidence in head-to-head battles while working their way back to form.

Rahlves dislocated his hip in the opening race of the X Games on Jan. 31 in Aspen, CO, and his recovery caused him to miss the Opening Ceremonies. He had an MRI on Thursday morning that reported encouraging progress, he said.

"It was really a long shot, but it turned out to be really good," Rahlves said. "I'm really excited to be back up here."

Prior to the injury, Rahlves was fourth in a World Cup event in Lake Placid, NY, on Jan. 24 and second before that in St. Johann, Austria.

Puckett ranked fourth in 2009 overall World Cup points standings and led the final round of his last World Cup event in Les Contamines, France, on Jan. 9 before falling and separating his AC joint. He decided to have it fixed surgically and tried to train again two weeks later, only to reinjure his shoulder three weeks out and start back from square one.

"I feel it's actually back to the point where I still have a shot here," Puckett said. "I definitely was questioning it three weeks ago, and then I feel pretty good."

Injuries aside, the U.S. Team brings something to unique to the start gate in the debuting Olympic sport: Olympic experience.

"These guys are going to have an advantage over the entire field," U.S. Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd said. "They're not going to be in the gate as nervous – at least I hope they won't be – as the rest of the competitors."

Rahlves said it's exciting to represent a new sport at the Olympics – and one so exciting for both viewers and participants.

"It's a risky sport," he said. "There’s more risk out there than even in downhill because you’re not the one in control all the time. You don’t have control over everything that’s going on. You have to take a lot of smart calculated risks out there. It’s not just you. You’re adjusting to what other guys around you are doing and that can change really quickly."

Training begins Friday for the team, with qualifications starting Sunday at 9:15 a.m. PT. Finals have an estimated start of 1:15 p.m.

Puckett said he's just as anxious as he was in 1992, a fresh-faced 19-year-old racing against the likes of Alberto Tomba and Marc Ghirardelli in technical events.

"It's extremely exciting to be in an Olympic Games where you're more of a favorite to win a medal," he said.

Traning will give the duo its first chance to see the course, but they've already heard some inside information from Head Snowboardcross Coach Peter Foley and hopes to get more of an inside scoop from men's snowboardcross gold medalist Seth Wescott (Sugarloaf, ME).

"I think it’s a really good course," Puckett said. "It’s fairly long—it’s over a minute long. It has everything—big bank turns, you’re in the air a lot, you’re in the air like half of the time. It’s challenging, and there’s also long straightaways that give you an opportunity to pass. I think this course has everything."

Bahrke Named to 2010 Aerials Team

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

VANCOUVER, BC (Feb. 17) – Complications from a recent appendectomy will keep freestyle aerialist Dylan Ferguson (Amesbury, MA) from joining his Olympic teammates in Vancouver. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association Wednesday announced that aerialist Scotty Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) will replace Ferguson. Bahrke is the brother of Shannon, who won bronze in Saturday's women's moguls.

"This is a great disappointment for Dylan, who had some of the Team's strongest results in the selection process," said USSA Vice President, Athletics Luke Bodensteiner. "At the same time, we're happy to have an athlete of Scotty Bahrke's caliber to replace him."

Bahrke, 24 (7/19/85), has six top-10 finishes including a sixth on the Olympic hill a year ago. His best result came in the huge Moscow World Cup in 2008, where he was fifth.

"I am obviously bummed that I will not be able to compete and have my Olympic dream come true," said Ferguson from Park City, UT. "But if I am not able to compete, then I wouldn't have anyone else besides my best friend Scotty compete in my place. I know his jumps will be awesome and I am supporting him one million percent as well as the rest of the team."

Ferguson had appendicitis surgery on Feb. 3 and was expected to be cleared to travel with the team to Vancouver. But a subsequent infection prevented him from competing.

Bahrke was approved by the IOC as a replacement for Ferguson on Wednesday. He is already in Vancouver and is expected to begin training on Wednesday or Thursday.

Rahlves, Puckett Get Some Sugar

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

SUGAR BOWL, CA (Feb. 16) – Casey Puckett (Aspen, CO) and Daron Rahlves (Sugar Bowl, CA) have had to fast track their recoveries from recent injuries, but their performances training in Rahlves' hometown have bolstered their coach's opinion that the pair should contend for medals.

"Daron and Casey have surpassed my expectations in many ways," said U.S. Olympic Ski Cross Head Coach Tyler Shepherd. "Both have been determined and motivated to get the job done in Vancouver."

The two-man Team is wrapping up an on-snow camp at Sugar Bowl, CA, where the resort built a ski cross course just to give the Americans a chance for some final training before heading to Canada.

Shepherd said the veteran Olympians – the two have been to a combined nine Games with the U.S. Alpine Ski Team – weren't pulling any punches despite making the trip to Sugar Bowl for "an easy tune up."

"These guys put that 'easy' to bed, and showed me they are in very good form," Shepherd said. "Considering that both are coming back from injuries, their recoveries have been outstanding. I'm not sure other athletes would be capable of such speedy recoveries, but these guys are extremely motivated.

"I stand by what I've been saying, and will say it again that both Daron and Casey will be podium threats."

Rahlves dislocated his hip by wrecking in the opening race of the X Games in Aspen, CO, a little more than two weeks ago, but already he is back on the racecourse and feeling strong. He took fourth in his last World Cup event in Lake Placid, NY, on Jan. 24, following a second place in St. Johann, Austria.

"The recovery from my hip dislocation has been amazing," said Rahlves, who has been doing 4-6 hours of physical every day, topped off with acupuncture and pool sessions. "The first week on crutches progressed to on snow by Week 2 with minor discomfort."

"Having an Olympic competition just three weeks out has been a huge motivator," he added. "Staying positive and getting the most out of every day has worked well. On snow, I started off slow and ramped up my intensity on each run. My goal is to ski smooth, relaxed and focused."

Puckett was hampered by a shoulder injury, but said he "turned a corner" in camp and will be ready when ski cross kicks off as an official Olympics event on Sunday.

"I feel very good, and confident that I will be ready for Vancouver," he said. "The Olympic camp here in Sugar Bowl has been a great opportunity. Not many teams have this kind of training, and we have had great training the last two days."

Like Rahlves, Puckett's last World Cup start saw him land fourth in Les Contamines, France, on Jan. 9, and he was also fourth in the 2009 overall World Cup points standings.

Shepherd was grateful his athletes could have access to such a course so late before the Games.

"Sugar Bowl has gone above and beyond, and I can't thank them enough for the tremendous training venue they have provided," he said. "A full SX course that would rival any World Cup course, all to ourselves."

Puckett actually arrived in Vancouver last week, marching in the opening ceremonies, then heading back to Sugar Bowl. He and Rahlves will arrive for a Thursday press conference, with training beginning Friday.

Aerials Women Open Training

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 16) – Women's aerials athletes got their first taste of training Tuesday, discovering excellent conditions and beginning their final preparations for qualifications Saturday and finals next Wednesday.

"I thought today's conditions were awesome, and the site has done a great job on the jumps," said return Olympian Emily Cook (Belmont, MA). "The good news for me is I am jumping again after the bruised heel injury. I am just really excited heading into more training sessions and onto the competition."

Olympic Trials winner Lacy Schnoor (Sandy, UT) agreed that the course was in good shape for her Olympic debut performance.

"I feel confident after today's training and going forward," she said.

The team's only other former Olympian besides Cook and another athlete who performs a difficult triple-twisting double, Jana Lindsey (Black Hawk, SD) said things – already good – can only get better as far as the venue is concerned.

"I liked the jump and the landing was nice and soft," Lindsey said. "I can only see the condition and the preparation of the hill going in an upward direction."

At only 16 years old, Ashley Caldwell (Hamilton, VA) wasn't daunted by her first Olympic action, regardless, and the shape of the course couldn't have bothered her less.

"Most training days seem quite the same to me, and I am still too inexperienced to really be able to tell the difference between well-prepared jumps and not-well-prepared jumps," said the former gymnast who transitioned to the sport at USSA's Elite Air Program in Lake Placid, NY. "However, overall, I am really happy with today's training."

Qualifications begin Saturday at 10 a.m. PT, while finals are set for Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Wilson Lands Bronze in Moguls

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 14) – Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) stomped a huge finals run for a bronze medal Sunday night, completing a meteoric rise to the sport's elite that began with a surprise World Cup appearance in December. Wilson sat second to defending gold medalist Dale Begg-Smith of Australia until Canada's Alexandre Bilodeau laid down a 26.75 for the country's first-ever gold medal on home soil.

"It's been a pretty amazing ride," said Wilson, who broke through as a "B" team alternate when an injury to a teammate led to two starts and two second places in Finland. "A year ago, I was just trying to make the Olympics. When I was down there after my run, I knew I had a big one and a good score. It was amazing."

Qualifying third behind Bilodeau and France's Guilbaut Colas, Wilson knew he needed a strong performance to keep his standing and he perfectly executed a double full at the first jump - the same daring stunt that served him well in Finland.

"A double full up top is a pretty tricky trick," Wilson said. "I knew I had to not rush it. I nailed it, and it felt really good.

"I just wanted to land that top air. Once I did that, I just kind of let it go."

The penultimate skier, Bilodeau, sped into first with the night's third-fastest time and precision carving through the bumps. Bilodeau was the only other competitor to attempt – and land – a backflip with two twists.

The 21-year-old Wilson, who has won several awards as a wood carver in his spare time, won the U.S. Championship in 2009 to secure his spot on the "B" team, and was a former Junior World Champion.

Knowing he had likely made the team with his two podiums, Wilson focused on the one area he knew he couldn't match the world's elite.

"Guilbaut's really fast, so I knew I had to pick up my speed," he said. "That's what I've been working on at the past few World Cups. I was really trying to up my speed to compete with these guys."

Still the slowest of the top seven finishers, Wilson made up for it with tight turns and the best air score (5.46) in Saturday's competition.

"I felt really good on this course," Wilson said. "The conditions were awesome today. It was the best day we've had here."

Wet and windy weather were the source of concern at Cypress Mountain all week, but temperatures cooled down and rain clouds cleared up for Saturday night's grand finale.

The U.S. qualified all four of its men's moguls team for finals, with Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) in 10th, Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) in 16th, and Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) in 19th.

Wilson's U.S. teammates had to step on the gas early, however, to make an impression from such early start positions, and the risk cost them with Morse losing control of a few turns to take 15th, followed by Deneen crashing on the final jump and Roberts losing control at a blistering pace for non-scoring runs.

Still, the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Moguls Team collected quite the haul in these Games, with three of six medals after Hannah Kearney won gold and Shannon Bahrke took bronze in the women's event Saturday evening.

"It was cool for me to come in and get a medal after Hannah won yesterday and Shannon got the bronze," Wilson said. "I watched Hannah's run and I decided that's what I wanted to do."

Wilson's bronze is the third by a U.S. male moguls participant and marks the fourth time out of five official Olympic competitions that a U.S. male has reached the podium.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain – Feb. 14
Men's Freestyle Moguls

GOLD – Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada, 26.75
SILVER – Dale Begg-Smith, Australia, 26.58
BRONZE – Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 26.08
4. Vincent Marquis, Canada, 25.88
5. Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau, 25.83
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15. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA, 23.38
RNS – Patrick Deneen, Cle Elumk, WA; Nate Roberts, Park City, UT

Wilson Third After Moguls Qualis

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 14) – The U.S. Olympic Men's Moguls Team has booked all four of its competitors into the medal round starting 5:30 p.m. PT and shown live on NBC. Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT) qualified third with a 25.06, while France's Guilbaut Colas led with a 25.93.

Wilson, with two World Cup second-place finishes to his credit this season, led a talented team of first-time Olympians.

Olympic Trials winner Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) was 10th, 2005 World Champion Nate Roberts was 16th, and Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA) snuck inside the top 20 at 19th.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain – Feb. 14
Men's Freestyle Moguls Qualifications

1. Guilbaut Colas, France, 25.93
2. Alexandre Bilodeau, Canada, 25.48
3. Bryon Wilson, Butte, MT, 25.06
4. Dale Begg-Smith, Australia, 25.03
5. Jesper Bjoernlund, Sweden, 24.53
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10. Patrick Deneen, Cle Elum, WA, 23.97
16. Nate Roberts, Park City, UT, 23.22
19. Michael Morse, Duxbury, MA, 23.08

Moguls Men to Gun for More Medals

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 14) – The men's moguls team has a tough act to follow after the U.S. women grabbed gold and bronze in the first freestyle event of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. But the four first-time Olympians possess the ability to contend for more precious metals Sunday night.

"I'm just enjoying this experience," said Bryon Wilson (Butte, MT), who was called up in December to compete in Suomu, Finand - after being invited just to train with the World Cup squad - and took second place twice. "I went in there and took advantage of the opportunity."

Patrick Deneen (Cle Elum, WA) had a strong December, too, winning the Olympic Trials and locking up an Olympic berth early. That knowledge allowed him to prepare exclusively for these Games, and relieved the interim pressures.

"Earning an early Olympic start gives you a really big advantage," Deneen said after he arrived in Vancouver earlier this week. "You'll try different stuff out at World Cups and really kind of figure out what the judges are looking for.

"I'm skiing really the best I've ever skied right now. I'm excited to take to the slopes and give it all I have."

Nate Roberts (Park City, UT) knows how stressful it can be to not know, and even worse, to miss out. Roberts was dealt a tough blow when he was left off the squad in 2006, despite holding the title of World Champion and a ranking of fourth internationally.

"Now, I'm 17th or 20th in the world, one (World Cup) podium, and I'm sitting here in Vancouver," said Roberts, who made it despite an injury kept him out for the 2009 season. "A dream come true. I'm ready to ski my best and give it all that I have."

Filling out the U.S. lineup on Valentine's Day is Michael Morse (Duxbury, MA), who found out about his inclusion on the team just two weeks before the Games began.

"I've just been trying to stay low key, trying to train as much as I can," Morse said. "(I'll) try to get mentally prepared for all of this and everything we're going to face, and try to visualize as much as I can about what we're going to be doing."

The qualification round will begin at 2:30 PT (Deneen starts first), with finals at 5:30 p.m. Fans can watch the finals live on NBC.

Kearney Wins First U.S. Gold in 2010

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 12) – Second time's a shiny, gold-plated charm for Hannah Kearney (Norwich, VT), who won the first gold medal for the United States at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in women's freestyle moguls Saturday night. Kearney edged Canadian favorite Jennifier Heil with a breathtaking final run, while Shannon Bahrke (Tahoe City, CA) added a bronze medal to her silver in 2002.

"I heard the roar of the crowd, I heard Jenn, and I knew I had to ski the best run of my life," said Kearney, who did just that by laying down a 26.63 on the biggest stage when she needed it most. "That was the highest score I've ever had."

Following a disappointing 22nd as a 19-year-old favorite in 2006, Kearney won the 2009 World Cup overall title last season and came into the Games on the heels of a victory in Lake Placid, NY, on Jan. 21. This time around, she'd shed tears of joy.

"This summer, I'd be driving my car home and I'd get this wonderful feeling in the pit of my stomach like, 'It's gonna happen,'" said Kearney, who got a note Saturday moning from U.S. Team Strength Coach Alex Moore that outlined the work she put in to reach the Olympic stage (click this link for story). After all that hard work, winning the first U.S. gold medal of the Games was a milestone not lost on Kearney.

"That's been a huge goal of mine," she said. "Go Team USA! I really want to be a part of an Olympic montage, and I think I earned my right now.

"If this could send positive vibes and set the tone for the Americans, I'll take it."

The only other U.S. women's moguls gold medal came in Albertville, France, in 1992, when Donna Weinbrecht claimed the sport's most coveted prize. Weinbrecht was in the finish area working for Yahoo!Sports on Saturday night.

Low visibility met athletes at the top and winds whipped from their left to right, but it was par for the course after three wet training sessions all week.

"I'm actually still pretty dry thanks to my uniform, there's a tent at the top," Kearney said. "We had coaches wiping our goggles down, holding umbrellas over us. This is the Olympics, so we get the best treatment possible."

Bahrke's speedy, tight run led the final round heading into the final two skiers – favorites Heil and Kearney.

First, Heil, trying to become the first Canadian ever to claim gold on home soil with her second consecutive Olympic championship, surpassed Bahrke and the crowd noise grew to deafening levels.

As the light snow started to fall harder, Kearney stood atop the course knowing it would take a flawless run to unseat the reigning Olympic champion. It would take perfect turns, flawless jumps, and the fastest time of the night. And that's what Kearney delivered.

"Pressure is just a made-up thing," she said. "There's no such thing as pressure. I remind myself sometimes that I'm skiing because I love to ski. I'm not skiing for airtime on NBC. I'm not skiing for the fans at the bottom. I'm skiing because this is what I want to be doing."

Her knees were practically taped together through the middle section of the course, and Kearney landed a backflip at the top and a helicopter at the bottom. Her score of 26.63 beat Heil by almost a full point (.94), and Bahrke rushed to meet her in the finish area as her compatriot pumped her fists and soaked it in, literally.

Bahrke's haul of two medals is the most ever by a U.S. freestyle skier, cementing her place in the sport's history as she prepares to hang up the skis after 12 years with the U.S. Ski Team.

"This is the last hurrah," Bahrke said. "I'll finish the World Cup season and we have Nationals, but this will be my last season, and what a way to finish it.

"I've worked my butt off," she added. "I've been in the gym, and I've left no stone unturned coming into these Games."

Heather McPhie (Bozeman, MT) was flying through her second run after qualifying third, but went down after her second jump and wound up 18th. Kearney sympathized with her teammate - who is one of 14 U.S. Olympians who attend Salt Lake City's Westminster College - and thanked her for her unconditional friendship.

"She's a really supportive teammate," Kearney said. "You genuinely feel that if she can't do well, she wants you to be up there. That's why our team's so strong right now, because we're that supportive of each other. I feel for her because I've been there."

After another outstanding U.S. first run scored seventh-best in qualification, Michelle Roark (Denver) crashed after a solid 720 off the top jump in the finals. The veteran of six knee surgeries got to her feet and stomped a Bronco at the bottom as the crowd cheered the true Olympic effort.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2010 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Cypress Mountain, BC – Feb. 13
Women's Freestyle Moguls

Gold – Hannah Kearney, Norwich, VT, 26.63
Silver – Jennifer Heil, Canada, 25.69
Bronze – Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City, CA, 25.43
4. Aiko Uemura, Japan, 24.68
5. Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, 23.87
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17. Michelle Roark, Denver, 15.90
18. Heather McPhie, Bozeman, MT, 14.52

Coach Reminds Kearney She Was Prepared

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 MST

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN, BC (Feb. 13) - On the morning of her gold medal day, U.S. Ski Team strength coach Alex Moore gave Hannah Kearney a notecard. On it was a collection of statistics of the work she had done leading up to this day. It was a reminder of the lifetime commitment she had made leading up to a stormy, blustery night on Cypress Mountain.

The notecard, which had a lightning bolt on the front, included over 1,000 water ramp jumps, 200 hours on a bike, 1,400 squats, 480 pullups, 14,000 jumps and 170 recovery sessions, and more - all since Kearney turned off her World Cup title season last May and focused on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010.

"He gave it to me just to give me the confidence to know I had done everything I could and had prepared for this day," said Kearney.

Moore worked with Kearney nearly every day - not in the gym, but online through the U.S. Ski Team Sport Science department's Visual Coach Pro software. The online logging system allowed Kearney to train at home in Vermont, while sending data back everyday to the Team's Center of Excellence in Park City, UT.

According to Moore, no one was more detailed than Kearney in staying on top of her conditioning program day in and day out.