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Show BUSINESS: OPTOMETRISTS SUE IHC/C4 road tot ee TIO, LakeTribune TUESDAY @ REC ROUNDUP, C-2 NOVEMBER20, 2001 OD OLYMPI DIARY Derek Parra Competitive Fires Keep My Own Olympic Torch Burning Bode Miller clears a gate duringthefirst run of the men’s World Cup giant slalom. I first put ona pairofice speedskates in Decemberof 1996. Before that, I was an inline speedskater and was on the U.S. National Team from 1989 to 1996. During thattime, I won18 world championshiptitles, set two world records and retired as the most decorated athlete in the history of the sport. Unfortunately, the one medalI didn’t have was an Olympic medal. Because in- line skating was not an Olympicsport, I didn’t even have a shotat one. That’s why I switched to ice skating. The switch wasa difficult transition. I had gone from one of the top athletes in the world on wheels, to essentially the bottom of the barrelontheice. Manypeople, some of whom are still skating, never thought I could succéssfully makethis switch.But, the people in my life who matter most, those ) who know me,believed in me. Most importantly, I believed I could doit. So here I am,a little more than 5 yearslater, and I'm considered a medal contenderat the upcoming Olympics. Although some mayconsider my rise through theice speedskating world to have been easy, I can tell you it was anything but. I struggled early on andattimesI still do, but I AlessandroTroyati/TheAssociated Press. Miller, Schlopy Carve Separate BY DAN EGAN ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, accomplishmentof mylife, but as it turned out, it was oneof ing high onthe Continental Divide, rising ski star and renowned maverick Bode Miller just could not this: Only the top 32 skaters in complicated, butthegist is help himself. “Wannarace?” he asked teammate, room- the world competeat the Olympics in the 5,000 meters. I was mate, and rival Erik Schlopy duringtheir tune-up to this week's World Cupracesin race. You mayfindthis hard to believe, but through somepaperworkentry error made by someofficial who hopes he never meets mein a darkalley, | was bumped to 33rd, and there went my chance tocompete in the Games. “Disap- pointment” would be theultimate understatement. Iconsidered myself fortunate to have been at the Olympics, but at the same time,it was hard to be there and not be able to compete.I havetried to sonvince myself that I was the 00th caller to my hometown radio station and I won the zrandprize, an all-expensesaid trip to the Olympics, plus he uniform! That’s aboutthe ynly wayI can deal with the seen witha smile. I } for my teammates and ted the experience, but as you mightimagine, it was not e Salt LakeTribune Erik Schlopy and Bode Miller congratulate eachotheraftertheir great day on the slopes. Schlopyfinished 5th in the men’s giant slalom in Park City. OVELAND,Colo. — At the end ofa cold morningofgiantslalom train- the most challenging personal experiences I have been ‘ough. said Schlopy. Actually, the race between these two guys might still be too closeto call. Miller burst onto the World Cup scenein coaches and ski teamstaff Andthen the race was on, each skier takicy ribbon of rutted snow. “Schlopy, Guess whatyourtime was?” Millersaid at the bottom of the course as Spploty. stripped outofhis racing gear. ” ‘Schlopy answered. oughlydominated by Europeans,partticu: larly Austrians. “Tt’s the Americanstyle . . . just to come 1997 with an 11th placefinishinhisfirst race, ing that brought him from a dead-last world inghis turnlacing throughgatesdotting an shipslast year in St. Anton, Austria. Embodened by teammate Daron Rahi i the super-G, Miller saidnotea dated himin his sport, which See SKIERS,Page C-3 has tallied nine top-10 finishes in World Cupand world championship competi- year. “Ido.” enteredlast ason. “Heis apret confidenc “He's ittle rebeliinOui That cameout at the world champion- a giantslalomat Park City. Since then, he Aspen. 5 “Actually,” replied Schlopy, famousfor a measured and methodical approachto skiranking in 1998 to No.3 in giantslalom last mehie risks too much s often. Othertimes his 5 forces a mistakethat costs He ony finishedhalfofthe 28 races he Slalom Competitors the ladderof skaters and earned a spot on the 1998 U.S, Olympic Team. You would think that would have been the ranked 32nd (whew!). Sol went to the Olympics,ready to that happens andcrashes, Routes as Giant managed to make my way up The details of the story are wanton approachto a race course. Many agreethat theonly thing that can stop the New Hampshirenativefromracing to the top ofthe ski world is himself, and tion. Heis among the team's most accomplished performers, but almiost cringe every time he entersthe starting gate. They use words like “rebel,” and “swashbuckling”to de- scribe the 24-year- old’s “42.72” Schlopy queried with a smile on his face, because that would easily be the best timeofthe day. “Yep,” replied Miller, itching to surrender to the grin he struggled to control. “Guess what my timewas.” “4967 ,” replied Schlopy. And then he reminded Millerof his fall on their first try at a race that day. “So I actually won,” omplete. Erik Schlopy makes a second slalom run Theone good thing that ame outof this personal chalenge was thatit lit a fire in me hatstill burns, and will coninue to, untill get to compete it the Olympics this February. There's so muchmore that ‘d like to share with you. ‘hings like how mywife, Tif- at the Super Series men’sfinals at Deer any (wholives 2,000 miles way from mein Florida be- ause of my skating), is preg- ant with ourfirst daughter — vho is planning on coming nto this world right in the niddle of Olympic Trials this Jecember.I'll also tell youa it about last season, which vas riddled with challenges or me:a bad back injury, disppointingrace finishes,etc. jut at the final eventof the ear, the world championhips, I won silver medal, set new American record, and stablished myselfas a serious nedal contenderfor this Febuary’s Olympics (that was a ood day ty). Finally,I'll try to share with ou whatit’s like now, with he clock ticking on my ream,so close that I can taste . I'm off to Europe forthe offiial beginning ofthis year’s insrnational speedskating seaon. I hope that by the time I eturn in three weeks, I'll ave solidified my spot on the 8. Olympic Team.I'll keep ou posted. i by BY LEX HEMPHILL THESALT LAKE TRIBUNE Suzy Harris Rytting is a twotime Winter Olympian who never madeit to the Olympics. The end of her Olympic dreamsis almost unfathomable: She was barred from competing in the Games because — gasp — she was in thefirst month of pregnancy. UTAH “Ladies and gentlemen, I have never been quite as ashamed of sports as I am at this very moment,” intoned NBCradio's Bill Stern, in one. of his national sports commentaries: “Is motherhood a disgrace? Is this something to throw a girl off the American Olympic team because of?” Of course not. WINTER Nor,as it turned out, wasit something to cloud an entire lifetime either. Suzy Harris Rytting’s life is rich a 50-plus-year marriage to husband Bill, two daughters and four grandchildren, a charitable andactivespirit, and a harvestof awards, including induction into the National Ski Hall of Famein 1988, OLYMPIANS It occurred 50 years —adifferentera, a different attitude toward women in sports — but whatbefell Salt Lake City's skiing queen was preposterous even then, Left home in 1948 after making the Olympic team as an alternate, Suzy was only a month away from marching into the 1952 Olympics in Oslo whenthepregnancy flap took place, “Tt has been a fabulouslife,” saidthe 71-year-old Rytting in her FormerU.S. skier Suzy Salt Lake City homerecently. “I would not have missed doingit, even with a couple of the heartbreaks that have gonealong with Harris Ryting made the Olympic team but neverskied in the Winter it, for anything in the world, “My mother, she wasthe one, it just haunted herfor years. And I'd say, ‘Mom, I'm the one who's won.’ And I have no complaints.I wish I could have raced in the Olympics.I wish a lot of things. But it didn’t happen. AndI'vestill hada wonderfullife.” Her “wonderful”life in skiing began after parents Bill and Carolyn Harris packed their 12-year: old daughterin the family car and moved from Cleveland to Salt Lake City in January of 1942. Suzylearned toski the next year, See RYTTING,Page C-3 pregnant and officials told her she would have to retum home. Ryan Galbraith/‘The Salt Lake Tribune |
