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Show TheSalt Lake Tribune ob MP tT =» Sy O07 Tuesday, February19, 2002 ICN ¢ TAESR G AMES FREESTYLE SKIING — MEN’S AERIALS: FREESTYLE SKIING — WOMEN’S AERIALS “T’ve never won anything before, soit’s really crazy. I don’t thinkit’s even setin yet. But it’s good.” Today, Noon, Deer Valley Golden Alisa Weather Could Play Decisive Role BYJIM WOOLF ‘THESALTLAKETRIBUNE DEER VALLEY — The weathercould play a majorrole Australia’s Camplin lands in determining who will win the grab thesilver and bronze THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE “He's a real good jumper in the weather,” agreed Canada’s Andy Capicik. “But so am I. We haveall jumped in rain, snow and hurricanewinds.It doesn’t So the 27-year-old from Melbourne was chuckling as she recalled how she fell while skiing down from the Olympic site Monday and crushed the bouquetof flowers she received for winning a gold medal in women’sfreestyleaerials. Canadians walked away with thesilver and What Camplin lacks in ski- matter.” If conditions are good, Ber- goust probablystill is the lead- ing contender for the gold medal. But most of the other skiers have the skills to beat SALT LAKE 2002 him if they jump their best and Bergoust makes the slightest mistake. GOLD Bergoust’s biggest challenge may comefrom Belarus’ Alexei Alisa Camplin Australia 193.47 points Grichin, who has been jumping well all season. to defeat a strongfield for the medal. “I'mfeeling really shocked,” “[ wantto win the gold,” said Grichin after finishing in first place after Saturday’s qualify- shesaid after the victory. “This has never happened to me, obviously. I've never won anything before,so it’s really crazy. I don’t think it’s even set in yet. Butit’s good.” She doesn’t have a World aerials world and has learned how to cope with the worst conditions. DEER VALLEY — Australian Alisa Camplin had been on snow only once before she was 19 years old, and she’sstill not a great skier. ing ability she more than makes upin skills learned as a young gymnast. She landed two almost flawless double back flips — each with two twists — freestyle a gold medal at the 1998 Olympics at Nagano,Japan, is one of the mostskilled jumpers in the BYJIM WOOLF bronze medals. Veronica Brenner, 27, came in second while Deidra Dionne,19, was third. men’s competition today. If conditions are windy or snowy, expect 32-year-old Eric Bergoust to have a great day. The Montananative, who won in first place; Canadians ing round. “I feel good. Butit is going to make me more happy whenI win the medal and beat Deidra Dionne Canada him [Bergoust].” Ales Valenta from the Czech 189.26 Republic hasa special interest in good weather. He has announced he will attempt a dif- Results, O15 Cup win, though she has been competi internationally “ince 1997. She has, however, steadily improved in the rankings. Sheplaced second at an event in Australia last Septemberandfifth in British Co- ficult triple back flip with five twists if conditions allowit. He has only landed the jumpperfectly twice. Doing it a third lumbia last month. time in the Olympic finals During Saturday's qualifying for the Olympic finals, she placed second andstarted to think she could be enough for a gold medal. Stress and excitementalso might have a chance for a gold medal. The tension was so high on Sundaynight that she couldn’t eat and called her sports psycholo- could be factors, particularly for the U.S. skiers. gist for an hourlong therapy session over the telephone. The stadium is expected to be packed with about 15,000 screaming fans who will be urging on the four Americans “Ttold her I'd been thinkingpast the event, and she said: ‘Stop that! Stop that! You've got to focus on whatyoucan contro] and theprocessof getting off the jump.’ So it’s been a battle for me,” Camplin said. who qualified forthefinals. Probably the loudest applause will be for Park City native Joe Pack. He had a disappointing season, but pulled it She woke up calm Monday morning and de- cided she had nothing to lose by just focusing on her jump. Although Camplin encouraged her family not together for Saturday's quali- to fly in from Australia for the event, her mother and sister surprised her by screaming from the fying round and finished third behind Grichin and Bergoust. crowdafter herfinal jump. Brenner, from Sharon, Ontario, said it was a Pack seemsto thrive on the attention, and could pull out a pleasure sharing the podium with her teammate winning performance before from Canada andher close friend from Australia. the hometown crowd. Jeret Peterson of Boise is “What's really great about today's competition was so many people jumped well,” said Brenner. “That's the way you want to have an Olympic another jumper who is ener- gized bythe crowd.After qualifying for the finals, the 20- Games.” Dionne, from Red Deer, Alberta, said she year-old kept repeating: “Oh my gosh . I’m so stoked!” “couldn't be more happy” with her bronze medal because she wonit with twoofthe best jumps she had ever done. The U.S. skier who has stayed in the background is Brian “Curdog” Currutt, 27, a There were disappointments, too. Switzerland's Evelyne Leu, whoset a record high score for women’s aerials during the qualification round, had problems with both of her jumps andfinished in 11th position. Cleveland resident who now lives in Park City. His best finish this year has been a fourth place, but he knowshe can bea contender if he can string together twoof his best jumps. Belarus’ Alla Tsuper hada greatfirst jump but stumbled in her second andfinished ninth. “Of course I can win,” he said with a confident smile. Noneof the U.S. womenqualified forthe finals. Camplin’s lack of skiing experience made learning to land her jumps a challenge. She has “This is the Olympics. Anything is possible. Anything.” suffered a broken collarbone, a broken hand, a separated shoulder, a torn Achilles’ tendon, a damaged knee and nine concussions while practicing her sport. She almost quit jumping two years ago after a particularly serious concussion. A macy who normally treats pecdeesicnal hockey players recommended she retire from aerials. SPEED FACTOR “But I'd just been training really well, and | had to sort of sit around for two weeks and decide,” she said. “I made the decision that if 1 had one more serious concussion,I wouldcall it a day. But! really, really wanted to get to these Olympic Games,and I’m so glad I stuck it out.” Speed at takeot is one of the keys to freestyle aenals. Jumpers want to be traveling about 40 mph. Being a littie fast oF a litte slow can lead to senous prablems. Paul Fraughton/TheSalt Lake Tribune Australia's 27-year-old Alisa Camplin landed two almost flawless double back flips to win the gold medal BOBSLED — TWO WOMEN:Today, 4:30 p.m., Utah Olympic Park Germany’sFast-Starting Prokoff Could Win Gold in First 15 Feet BY SKIP KNOWLES ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE UTAH OLYMPIC PARK — A bobsled looks like a toy in the hands of German pilot Sandra like she could just God. Butit will probably end in her nerves in herfirst Olympic tears for the U.S. women. For many reasons, the American women's bobsled juggernaut now looks like a solid bronze race and focus. Prokoff, who has at least 40 pounds on both brakewoman Ulrike Holzner prospect at best. crushed everyoneal] season at American pilots Jean Ra cine and Jill Bakken are argu ably better drivers than Prokoff, as are Susi Erdmann (Germany) and probably Fran- coise Burdet (Switzerland) But not by much, and prob. ably not by enough. Bobsled. ders refer to the Park City track prem: an Olympic sport at 4:30 p.m. today. There's no kiss-and-cry in bobsled; athletes do not sit and weep and wait forjudges to play 5 ’ as “the biggest track meet in the Winter Games,” saying itis too short for anything to matter but the start For that reason, the gold is Prokoff's to lose if she can steel t U.S. pilots, and track star Erdmann totake second American hopes now mostly hang on Bakken,a gifted natu ral pilot who has one of the world’s fastest starts with Vonetta Flowers. Bakken can the start and swapped first- certainlyget it done, even take place finishes with Erdmann, a thegold. But she has a history of cracking on the second or third runs under intense pressure. Former world champion Racine is the U.S. team’s men- two-time luge medalist who finished first in the world standings. After blasting ev eryone at the start at the World Cup in Koenigsee, Germany, Holzner discreetly said she and Prokoff were giving it about an 80 percent effort Erdmann is 6feet-1 and a slightly better pilot, but the short, Yast track probably will not allow her or anyone elseto reel Prokoff in. Expect tal giant, a steely-eyed mercenary on game day and master of the Park City track. But her performance Gea string injury. It does not look good when the duo is unableto throwdown a single solid push time during practice, and skips half the official training. Johnson plans to tape, take painkillers and roll today, but the likelihood of getting a good second heat with an injury is never good. Without Johnson or a healthy replacement, Racine will be lucky to make the Women's bobsled will premiere today fer, as an Clympec spot. But just sx top 10. U.S. Olympic men's push athlete Mike Kohn,part of five- time Olympian Brian Shimer’s cannot ignore a real injury. “If she's really hurt, she's muscle will not work and per form,” he said. “Bobsledders have to be durable to get through a season. If Jean had not going to be competitive. 1 don’t care how manypainkill pushed well on this track, she four-man team. says Johnson stuck with Jen [Davidson], who mightnot be in this spot.” ers you pump in there, the ‘ |