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Show Schoenhaar replaces Marolt as alpine director for United States Ski Team by Teri Gomes Bill Marolt, alpine director of the most successful U.S. Ski Team in Olympic history, has accepted the position of athletic director at his alma mater, the University of Colorado. Marolt, who has been with the Ski Team for the past six years, announced his decision last Friday. Marolt called it a tough choice, referring to his tenure with the team as "the greatest six years of my life. ' ' He felt the move would offer him more challenges and personal growth. There is, perhaps, a homecoming factor invoiveii as well. Besides attending the University of Colorado and having his name in the Skiing Hall of Fame there (Marolt ski-raced in the 1964 Olympics) he served as ski coach for the University team from 1969-78. He guided the team to seven straight NCAA skiing championships cham-pionships from '72-78. Bom in Aspen, Colorado, "when it was a little mining town where no one locked their doors," Marolt claims skiing is his life. It has been for as long as lean remember, really. If I wasn't involved with skiing I don't know what else I'd want to do. Be a football coach, maybe." Marolt has led the alpine team with some strong ideas about personal best. "It's not everything, but winning is better than not winning." His style was not to set curfews or enforce no drinking rules. He felt serious athletes would take of themselves. Considering the record-breaking record-breaking season the team had in Sarajevo, he seems to have judged right. For Marolt, being a part of the gold-medal effort was a dream come true. "When I was racing, I always thought I would earn a gold medal. When that didn't happen I told myself that someday I would be part of a gold-medal effort. It was really a thrill when that happened." ' Marolt will be replaced by Harald Schoenhaar, a 44-year-old West German who has served as the team's alpine technical director for the past four years. Schoenhaar first joined the U.S. team as special men's coach in 1974. He began his coaching career in 1966 in Germany where he served as head men's coach for the 1970 German World Championship team and the 1972 Olympic squad. |