Issue 9 DAY 6 Thursday, February 18, 2010 TAKING AIM

Transcription

1 TAKING AIM

2 HIGH HOPES In Torino it was a German and two Norwegians. In Salt Lake City it was a Norwegian, a German and a Russian. In Nagano it was a Norwegian, an Italian and a Belarusian. In fact, all the way back to the 1960 Olympic Winter Games debut of biathlon, a sport combining cross country skiing and rifling, its men s 20 km Individual podium has been populated by all sorts of different combinations - a Russian and two Germans; a Norwegian, an East German and a Swede; two Soviets and a Finn. All the podiums, though, have one thing in common: no Americans. On members of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men s Biathlon Team will take to the 20km course with higher expectations from their country than ever before. Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, N.Y.), Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, Alaska), Wynn Roberts (Battle Lake, Minn.) and Jeremy Teela (Heber City, Utah) are the first ever U.S. group to be seriously considered as Olympic medal contenders. But after placing only one skier, Teela, in the top 25 of the 12.5km pursuit on Tuesday after disappointing performances in Monday s 10km sprint, the U.S. team faces increased pressure to impress at the individual event. That pressure is falling especially hard on Burke, the 28-year-old who in December became the first American ever to don the overall World Cup leader s yellow bib. Of the U.S. biathletes, Burke has been singled out and is expected to do best. He spun Tuesday s race as nothing more than preparation for Thursday. Starting that far behind I knew that I had no chance to be anywhere in the front, Burke said of the pursuit, an event with a starting order determined by the results of the sprint. I had my mind set at the individual already. Burke finished the pursuit in 37:26.8, 46th place, after crossing the sprint line 47th. Teela finished 24th with a time of 35:45.4, Bailey finished 36th at 36:34.0 and Hakkinen crossed after 40:33.2, good for 57th place. My race, of course, wasn t good and I am not happy with it, Hakkinen said. But honestly, I am glad that it is over since we already had a disadvantage in the pursuit because of the conditions at the sprint. Sweden s Ferry Bjorn won gold Tuesday, followed in second and third by Austria s Sumann Christoph and France s Jay Vincent, respectively. Burke, meanwhile, was left questioning himself. I just have to figure out what s going on with my skiing right now. I feel flat and tired and I have no idea why. So that s something I ll have to be able to handle before the next race. The U.S. team hopes the 20 km as well as Sunday s 15 km mass start will boost their international recognition. I am looking forward to the individual because it s down to zero again, Hakkinen said. We will all have our chance again and that s what I m focusing on right now. Bailey also put Tuesday behind him quickly. It was just a prep race for the Individual. That s what counts now. It s a clean slate for every biathlete Thursday. Beginning at 1:20 p.m., athletes will begin the 20km, five four-kilometer loops, on their own. A new competitor departs every 30 seconds in a race against the clock. After each loop, every biathlete takes five shots at a shooting range. Sunday s 11 a.m. mass start will directly pit the top 30 competitors, including Burke and Teela, against one another. They will all start together and take five shots at each of four shooting ranges. ALREADY MAKING BIATHLON HISTORY Jeremy Teela won America s first World Cup medal since 1992 in March Tim Burke became the first U.S. biathlete to capture the yellow bib as the overall World Cup points leader in December 2009.

3 VANCOUVER FORECAST HIGH/LOW Feb. 18 Sunny 53/37 F Feb. 19 Sunny 53/38 F Feb. 20 Mostly Sunny 54/38 F WHISTLER FORECAST HIGH/LOW Feb. 18 Sunny 48/28 F Feb. 19 Sunny 47/30 F Feb. 20 Mostly Sunny 48/29 F QUOTEABLE A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now I got the gold medal I came here to get. And now I m just going to attack everyday with no regrets and no fear. I mean I m just happy with one [medal]. Anything else from here on out is a bonus and I m going to go home happy no matter what happens for the rest of the Games. -- Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing I don t know if everyone has quite opened up. Calling for pucks is routine, but giving guys grief and pranks and stuff that normally goes on in the locker room has been very minimal. But I expect that to change in the next few days. -- David Backes, Ice Hockey This is easier than Dancing with the Stars. I was more nervous for Dancing with the Stars every single week, but it was a good preparation for this I ll tell you that much. -- Louie Vito, Snowboarding THE TWEET SPOT Tweets from the U.S. Olympic Team Congrats That got us all fired up to start training today, thanks and great job Linds! -- Steve Mesler, Bobsled (@SteveMesler) After 25 years I will go to the line in my final race today. No matter the outcome, couldnt be happier its on the biggest stage in my sport! -- Nick Pearson, Speedskating (@nickotto7) Follow Team USA online at and on Twitter and Facebook. Receive breaking news via Twitter. On the Cover: Men s Biathlon Photos: Getty Images RIDING SUCCESS Being surrounded by a bunch of winners makes American snowboarder Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) just want to join the crowd. All she has to do in the halfpipe competition here in Vancouver to be on equal footing with her teammates is win an Olympic medal. I m happy that all of my teammates have won their Olympic medals, but now I want to win mine, Hight said Wednesday during a break while watching the men s competition on Cypress Mountain. Maybe its an advantage for me that I haven t won before because I m here to prove something, Hight continued. I ll be satisfied with any kind of Olympic medal. Hight is making her second appearance in the Games after finishing sixth in Torino. When she looks at her teammates resumes, she sees Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.) with a gold medal in Torino in 2006, Kelly Clark (Mt. Stow, Vt.) with a gold medal from Salt Lake City in 2002 when snowboarding joined the Olympic program, and Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, Colo.) with a silver medal from Torino. The U.S. team s history makes it a favorite to achieve a medal haul in I believe with the talent we have in the United States being the base, there s a possibility we could sweep the medals, High said. She emphasized she wasn t making a prediction, rather stating a possibility. Gretchen Bleiler Hight, 15, was born in Hawaii, not a real hotbed for snowboarding. But her family moved to the Lake Tahoe area in California when she was a youngster. The snow of the California mountains replaced the sand of the Hawaii beaches as her playground. However, she maintains a connection to Hawaii, noting that surfing is her second favorite sports activity. Even without an Olympic medal, Hight fits right into the persona of snowboarders. She laughed when asked if snowboarders are unusual people. But her activities on the day before her Olympic competition speak for themselves. Instead of resting in seclusion, Hight was a fired up spectator at the men s competition, rooting for boyfriend Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.), who competes for the U.S. men s team. It s exciting to be up here and to feel the energy, Hight said. We have fun rooting for each other. I think the camaraderie is what makes snowboarding so much fun. Said Bleiler at an earlier press conference, I think snowboarding stands out, it stands out no matter what. We re all best friends, we travel together, we compete against each other, but we are all very competitive people. continued...

4 Snowboarders can have a serious side, too. I ve had a wide range of Olympic experiences, from achieving the ultimate goal of winning a gold medal and also placing out of the medals in fourth place, Clark said. I think I ve done a lot of growing up over the past eight years. While Teter is competitive on the board, she has compassion for others. Her ambition since growing up in a supportive family has been to spread her good fortune. A trip to Kenya in 2008 to visit a community that needed help only increased her desire. That really fuelled my fire to spread the wealth, Teter said. I visited a community of about 70,000 people. I witnessed a lot of suffering. I m donating all of my contest money this season to Haiti relief, Teter told a gathering of reporters last week. I usually donate to my charity, Hannah s Gold, and we sponsor a town in Kenya. Teter sells maple syrup that also supports her charitable side. And, if she wins a gold medal in Vancouver, she plans to donate the $25,000 prize to Haiti relief. Elena Hight Teter and Bleiler took the top two medals in this event at the 2006 Tornio Games, and Clark captured the gold in 2002 in Salt Lake. Hight s best finish was 6th place in MEN VIE FOR MEDALS WITH FREE SKATE Evan Lysacek (Naperville, Ill.) finished second in the men s short program Tuesday night at the Pacific Coliseum, scoring a careerbest points. Johnny Weir (Coatesville, Pa.) placed sixth with a score of points, while Jeremy Abbott (Aspen, Colo.) came in 15th with a segment mark of points. On the trio head into the free skate, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Pacific Coliseum. Lysacek will skate first in the last group Evan Lysacek in Thursday s free skate, while Weir will go second to last. Abbott will take the ice third in the second group. Evgeny Plushenko of Russia, the 2006 Olympic champion, is leading with points after the short program. FOUR CONTENDERS IN WOMEN S HALFPIPE The U.S. women s halfpipe snowboarding team of Gretchen Bleiler (Aspen, Colo.), Kelly Clark (Mt. Snow, Vt.), Elena Hight (South Lake Tahoe, Calif.) and Hannah Teter (Belmont, Vt.) looks to follow in the men s footsteps Thursday when they take the hill at Cypress Mountain for the halfpipe competition. Qualifying runs begin at 12:30, followed by the semifinals at 4 p.m. and the finals at 6 p.m. Bleiler, Clark and Teeter are coming off gold, silver and bronze medal finishes, respectively, at the 2010 Winter X Games and hope to use that momentum for strong performances here in Vancouver. Clark says it will be the best women s final to date, with the biggest competition coming from the Chinese and Australian riders, she says. CURLING TEAMS SEEK WINS The American women led by Debbie McCormick (Rio, Wis.) return to the ice at 2 p.m. Thursday to face Denmark s Camilla Jensen rink in search of their first win. The American men, skipped by John Shuster (Chisholm, Minn.), will battle Denmark as well in the morning game. The American teams each play in a nine-game round robin with the top four teams advancing to next week s playoffs. The U.S. curling program has only ever medaled once at the Olympic Winter Games in 2006 when Shuster was a member of Pete Fenson s team. The U.S. is hoping to brush off a slow start in Vancouver and march on to the playoffs.

5 U.S. VS. NORWAY FOR GAME 2 For the first time in 22 years, the U.S. Olympic Men s Hockey Team will meet Norway in Olympic competition at noon on Thursday at Canada Hockey Place. The U.S. has won three and tied once against Norway in Olympic play, with the last meeting a 6-3 U.S. win in 1988 in Calgary, the last time the Olympics were played in Canada. Team USA opened 2010 Olympic play with a 3-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday (Feb. 16) as three players (Bobby Ryan, David Backes and Ryan Malone) all scored goals in their first Olympic game. Goaltender Ryan Miller (East Lansing, Mich.) made 14 saves to earn the win in his Olympic debut. The win extended Team USA s undefeated streak to three games (two wins and a tie) in Olympic opening games (tied Latvia 3-3 in 2006 and defeated Finland 6-0 in 2002). FIRST RUNS FOR SKELETON Twenty women s skeleton athletes from 12 nations and 28 men s skeleton athletes from 17 nations will begin their quest for Olympic gold Thursday at the Whistler Sliding Center. The four-heat competition will take place over two days from Feb , and the athlete with the lowest combined time will be crowned the 2010 Olympic champion. Women s skeleton competition runs from 4-5:50 p.m., while the men will take to the ice from 6:30-8 p.m. Eric Bernotas The U.S. women s team roster includes 2007 World Cup Champion Noelle Pikus-Pace (Orem, Utah) and two-time World Cup champion Katie Uhlaender (Breckenridge, Colo.). Eric Bernotas (Avondale, Pa.) will lead the U.S. men as a returning Olympian alongside 2007 World Cup champion Zach Lund (Salt Lake City, Utah) and international medalist John Daly (Smithtown, N.Y.). STRONG U.S. LADIES SPRINT TEAM READY The next Ladies 1000m Olympic champion will be determined Thursday after just 2.5 laps around the Richmond Olympic Oval. U.S. Olympians Elli Ochowicz (Hartland, Wis.), Heather Richardson (High Point, N.C.), Rebekah Bradford (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Jen Rodriguez (Miami, Fla.), 1000m Olympic bronze medalist from 2002, will be competing at the event. Racing begins at 1 p.m. Elli Ochowicz Richardson skated a great 500m event in yesterday s races, finishing in sixth place. She has even greater hopes for the 1000m. I m very excited because it s my favorite race, Richardson said. My start in the 1000m is more competitive than the 500m. Although Ochowicz was disappointed in yesterday s 500m, she is looking forward to getting on the ice again. I think we have four strong girls and I think it s the strongest 1000m team we ve had, Ochowicz said. We re going to have some good pairs to push us. U.S. Olympic coach Ryan Shimabukuro is also confident going into the event; but he knows little mistakes can add up to lost opportunities. It s going to be a tough competition just like any other sprint distance, Shimabukuro said. But our girls are prepped and ready to race. WOMEN S HOCKEY LOOKS TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED Team USA will face Finland (2-0) Thursday in its final preliminaryround game of the tournament. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. at UBC Thunderbird Arena. Team USA improved to Tuesday with a 13-0 win vs. Russia and secured a spot in the tournament s semifinal round. Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) logged her second-straight threegoal game vs. Russia, making her the first woman ever to record two, three-goal games in a single Olympic Winter Games. Team USA s 13 goals also set a U.S. Olympic Women s Ice Hockey Team single-game record.

6 MEDALSTS BACK ON THE HILL Gold and silver medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, Colo.) and Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, Calif.) will try again in the women s super combined. It will be the first time the combined has been run in the modern format, with a run of downhill followed by a single run of slalom. Other U.S. starters include Leanne Smith (Conway, N.H.) and Kaylin Richardson (Edina, Minn.). The downhill begins at 9:30 a.m., with slalom to follow at 12:30 p.m. SIGHTS SET ON FIRST PODIUM The men s 20 km and women s 15km biathlon individual medal events are Thursday at Whistler Olympic Park. The U.S. men placed only one skier, Jeremy Teela (Heber City, Utah), in the top 25 of the 12.5km pursuit on Tuesday, but still have hopes to put the first American on the podium in the history of biathlon in the Olympic Winter Games. Torino veteran Lanny Barnes (Durango, Colo.), Haley Johnson (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Laura Spector (Lenox, Mass.) and Sara Studebaker (Boise, Idaho) will compete in the women s individual at 10:20 a.m., and Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.), Tim Burke (Paul Smiths N.Y.), Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, Alaska) and Teela race and shoot on the men s side which begins at 1:20 p.m. OUTREACH FROM THE OLYMPIC STAGE It has only been 12 years since women s ice hockey became an official Olympic sport at the 1998 Nagano Games. Although the North American teams are traditionally dominant in the sport, several members from the U.S. Women s Ice Hockey team think the competition is improving. Hilary Knight (Palo Alto, Calif.) may be competing in her first Olympic Winter Games, but the three-time member of the U.S. Women s National Team at the World Championships knows not to underestimate her opponents. We re only guaranteed three games, so you ve got to take it game by game, Knight said. I know sometimes other teams are overlooked for no reason because every team here is a good team. It s the Olympics. Competition for women s hockey has definitely risen in the last couple years. Within the last two years, Finland defeated the U.S. twice and Sweden upset Canada. Sweden also upset the U.S. in the semifinal of the 2006 Torino Games. I think other countries have put some time and some funding into their programs. Team Sweden trained all year together, so that s a positive, forward Natalie Darwitz (St. Paul, Minn.) said. In four to eight years, it keeps going and keeps going. I do feel that way. I feel that is going to happen. The three-time Olympian thinks the international emphasis on program development has made a big difference. It s a means of having an organized team and get good competition to increase the level of skill for each country, she said. However, Knight said the minimal exposure for women s ice hockey is an obstacle. Unfortunately, our sport is only publicized during the Olympic year. It d be great to get more support, especially coming off of back-to-back World Championships and nobody really knew about it. It s kind of tough because we re just at the cusp of breaking through in the media and stuff like that, but if we get more support worldwide, I think it d really help our sport out. Forward Jenny Potter (Edina, Minn.) said the sport is young and teams are still building up their programs. Potter, who is competing in her fourth Games, became the all-time leading scorer in U.S. Olympic history on Sunday with three goals and a pair of assists in the team s 12-1 defeat of China. Her hat trick became the fifth ever by a U.S. woman in Olympic competition. Potter has continued...

7 BREAKING NEWS As part of the USOC s exclusive coverage of Team USA throughout the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, there are two options to receive Breaking News alerts from the USOC -- via and/or by following us on Twitter The USOC s Breaking News Bureau keeps the media and the U.S. delegation up to the moment with breaking news about U.S. athletes and team results, advisories and updates. The Bureau editor sends s to members of the media and delegation staff on breaking news and advisories. Visit the USA Media Services office to sign up to receive the Breaking News alerts during the Games. VISITNG USA HOUSE The USA House in Vancouver will have a limited media services operation. Journalists interested in gaining access and/ or setting up interviews at Vancouver USA House should request a media day pass 24 hours in advance by sending an to: usahousemedia@usoc.org. The facility will have a small workroom and will provide some interview opportunities with U.S. athletes and officials. In addition, USA House will be an evening stop in the Managing Victory tour for U.S. medal-winning athletes. Due to size constraints, USA House in Whistler is not open to the press. USOC PRESSBOX Visit the USOC media website, www. usocpressbox.org, for up-to-date and daily coverage of Team USA. Available on the site: headshots of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Team, releases, media annoucements, press conference transcripts, bios, athlete Tweets and more. THIS DAY IN HISTORY February 18, 1994 In the final race of his Olympic career, speedskater Dan Jansen wins his first Olympic medal, gold, and sets a worldrecord time at Lillehammer in the 1000m. a trio of Olympic medals gold in the 1998 Nagano Games, silver in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games and a bronze from the 2006 Torino Games. Despite the lopsided victory, Potter said the sport is still growing even in her own country. It s still young. In the U.S. we re still trying to grow women s hockey. Potter said she participates in Battle of the Border in Canada every year, where she goes to small communities to provide funding and help raise the level of their hockey programs. She also said having women from other countries come to the U.S. helps exposure too. [It helps] having some of those players come over to the U.S. to college hockey and getting a glimpse of what it s like and Jenny Potter bringing it back to their country and sharing with them, Potter said. With Sweden s success in the last Olympics and the Finnish team, they re still building upon their teams. Three-time Olympian Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) said giving back to communities in the U.S. is important and also making sure to do the same around the world to help promote women s ice hockey. Ultimately we re playing one another, Chu said. When you come to the Olympics, you re competing. Hopefully on non-olympic years or at different times we can still understand that we re still furthering the sport in a bigger way than who wins or loses. HAMILTON MURAL IMAGE UNVEILING As a part of a 17-day living art exhibit, Scott Hamilton,a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame presented by Allstate, will join representatives from Allstate to help unveil his image on The Allstate Hall of Fame Tribute at the USA House in downtown Vancouver. The tribute, a three-dimensional art exhibit, is being created by world-renowned mural artist Tracy Lee Stum on the walls of the USA House. WHO: WHERE : WHEN: CONTACT: Gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton; Allstate marketing manager Stacey Zipse; world-renowned artist Tracy Lee Stum USA House, 1010 Seymour (at the corner of Nelson), 11:00 a.m. Allstate: Caitlin Morse, , Caitlin.morse@allstate.com. Taylor (on-site in Vancouver): Kristin Adams, , kadams@taylorpr.com. MEDIA ZONE PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE VANCOUVER Date Sport Time Room February 18 Ski Cross 13:00 Saturna February 22 Snowboard PGS TBD TBD February 27 USA Wrap-up 10:00 Gabriola

8 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES SCHEDULE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 TIME SPORT EVENT VENUE 9:00 Curling Men s Round Robin Session 4: Denmark vs United States Vancouver Olympic Center U.S. Athletes: John Benton, Jeff Isaacson, Chris Plys, John Shuster, Jason Smith 9:30 Alpine Skiing Ladies Super Combined Downhill Whistler Creekside U.S. Athletes: Julia Mancuso, Alice McKennis, Kaylin Richardson, Leanne Smith, Lindsey Vonn 10:20 Biathlon Women s 15 km Individual Whistler Olympic Park U.S. Athlete: Lanny Barnes, Haley Johnson, Laura Spector, Sara Studebaker 12:00 Ice Hockey Men s Preliminary Round - Group A Game 7: United States vs Norway Canada Hockey Place U.S. Athletes: David Backes, Dustin Brown, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Tim Gleason, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Ryan Miller, Brooks Orpik, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Jonathan Quick, Brian Rafalski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny, Ryan Suter, Tim Thomas, Ryan Whitney 12:30 Alpine Skiing Ladies Super Combined Slalom Whistler Creekside U.S. Athletes: Julia Mancuso, Alice McKennis, Kaylin Richardson, Leanne Smith, Lindsey Vonn 12:30 Snowboard Ladies Halfpipe Qualification Cypress Mountain U.S. Athletes: Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Elena Hight, Hannah Teter 13:00 Speedskating Ladies 1000 m Richmond Olympic Oval U.S. Athletes: Rebekah Bradford, Elli Ochowicz, Heather Richardson, Jennifer Rodriquez, 13:20 Biathlon Men s 20 km Individual Whistler Olympic Park U.S. Athletes: Lowell Bailey, Tim Burke, Jay Hakkinen, Jeremy Teela 14:00 Curling Women s Round Robin Session 4: Denmark vs United States Vancouver Olympic Center U.S. Athletes: Nicole Joraanstad, Debbie McCormick, Natalie Nicholson, Allison Pottinger, Tracy Sachtjen 14:30 Ice Hockey Women s Preliminary Round - Group B Game 11: United States vs Finland UBC Thunderbird Arena U.S. Athletes: Kacey Bellamy, Caitlin Cahow, Lisa Chesson, Julie Chu, Natalie Darwitz, Meghan Duggan, Molly Engstrom, Hilary Knight, Jocelyne Lamoureux, Monique Lamoureux, Erika Lawler, Gigi Marvin, Brianne McLaughlin, Jenny Potter, Kelli Stack, Angela Ruggiero, Molly Schaus, Karen Thatcher, Jessie Vetter, Kerry Weiland, Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej 16:00 Snowboard Ladies Halfpipe Semifinals Cypress Mountain Qualifiers TBD (U.S. Athletes: Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Elena Hight, Hannah Teter) 16:00 Skeleton Women s Heat 1 Whistler Sliding Center U.S. Athletes: Noelle Pikus-Pace, Katie Uhlaender 17:00 Figure Skating Men s Free Skate Pacific Coliseum U.S. Athletes: Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, Johnny Weir 17:10* Skeleton Women s Heat 2 Whistler Sliding Center U.S. Athletes: Noelle Pikus-Pace, Katie Uhlaender 18:00 Snowboard Ladies Halfpipe Finals Cypress Mountain Qualifiers TBD (U.S. Athletes: Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Elena Hight, Hannah Teter 18:30 Skeleton Men s Heat 1 Whistler Sliding Center U.S. Athletes: Eric Bernotas, John Daly, Zach Lund 20:00* Skeleton Men s Heat 2 Whistler Sliding Center U.S. Athletes: Eric Bernotas, John Daly, Zach Lund (PPD) - Postponed; bold denotes medal round; *estimated start time VICTORY CEREMONIES SCHEDULE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18 19:00 BC Place Ladies 1000m Speedskating Ladies 500m Short Track Men s 1000m Speedskating Men s Halfpipe Ladies Halfpipe 19:00 Whistler Plaza Ladies Super Combined Men s 20km Individual Women s 15km Individual Men s Figure Skating FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 19:00 BC Place Ladies Snowboarding Halfpipe 19:00 Whistler Plaza Ladies 15km Biathlon Pursuit Men s Alpine Skiing Super-G