Countdown To The Olympics

Los Angeles (AFP) – US speed skater Shani Davis has opted out of the 10,000m at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, foregoing an attempt at all five individual events.

“That’s correct, he has decided not to do that,” US Speedskating spokeswoman Peri Kinder said Wednesday.

Davis, the first black Winter Olympic individual event champion, had been expected to attempt to match fellow American Eric Heiden’s one-Games record of five speedskating golds after qualifying in every event – the 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m.

Instead he has dropped the 10,000m in an apparent bid to bolster his chances in his strongest events.

Davis, a three-time 1,500m and two-time 1,000m world champion, is the world record-holder at each distance and won his landmark gold medal at 1,000 meters at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, where he also took silver in the 1,500.

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Vancouver 2010

Park City (AFP) – Four world champions and an Olympic medalist were among 18 members of the US Olympic freestyle ski team for the Vancouver Winter Games that were announced Tuesday.

“We have a good mix of experienced veterans and some exciting young skiers making their first Olympic appearance,” US freestyle coach Jeff Wintersteen said.

World Cup season champion Hannah Kearney is joined on the US women’s moguls squad by 2002 Olympic runner-up Shannon Bahrke and first-time Olympians Heather McPhie and Michelle Roark.

Reigning world champion Patrick Deneen paces a men’s moguls lineup that also includes 2005 world champion Nate Roberts, rookie Bryon Wilson and Michael Morse. All are making Olympic debuts.

“We have a great mix of veterans and youth,” US moguls coach Scott Rawles said. “It has been a tough road to make it here but I’m really looking forward to Vancouver.”

Reigning world champion Ryan St. Onge and two-time Olympian Jeret “Speedy” Peterson head a men’s aerials squad that also includes Matt DePeters and Dylan Ferguson.

Newcomer Lacy Schnoor and 2006 Olympians Jana Lindsey and Emily Cook will be joined in women’s aerials by 16-year-old Ashley Caldwell, the first product from a program aimed at making aerialists from talented US gymnasts.

“I’m very pleased with this team,” US aerials coach Matt Christensen said. “It’s a really good feeling when you look at veteran athletes like Ryan, Speedy and Emily who have all won World Cups.”

Ski cross will make its Olympic debut in Vancouver with veteran alpine ski racers Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett competing. It will be the fifth Olympics for Puckett and the fourth for Rahlves, the 2001 super G world champion.

“The audience will be amazed at the athletes’ abilities,” US ski cross coach Tyler Shepherd said. “I’m confident and excited for Daron and Casey.”

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Vancouver 2010

PARK CITY (AFP) – Four world champions and an Olympic medalist were among 18 members of the US Olympic freestyle ski team for the Vancouver Winter Games that were announced Tuesday.

“We have a good mix of experienced veterans and some exciting young skiers making their first Olympic appearance,” US freestyle coach Jeff Wintersteen said.

World Cup season champion Hannah Kearney is joined on the US women’s moguls squad by 2002 Olympic runner-up Shannon Bahrke and first-time Olympians Heather McPhie and Michelle Roark.

Reigning world champion Patrick Deneen paces a men’s moguls lineup that also includes 2005 world champion Nate Roberts, rookie Bryon Wilson and Michael Morse. All are making Olympic debuts.

“We have a great mix of veterans and youth,” US moguls coach Scott Rawles said. “It has been a tough road to make it here but I’m really looking forward to Vancouver.”

Reigning world champion Ryan St. Onge and two-time Olympian Jeret “Speedy” Peterson head a men’s aerials squad that also includes Matt DePeters and Dylan Ferguson.

Newcomer Lacy Schnoor and 2006 Olympians Jana Lindsey and Emily Cook will be joined in women’s aerials by 16-year-old Ashley Caldwell, the first product from a program aimed at making aerialists from talented US gymnasts.

“I’m very pleased with this team,” US aerials coach Matt Christensen said. “It’s a really good feeling when you look at veteran athletes like Ryan, Speedy and Emily who have all won World Cups.”

Ski cross will make its Olympic debut in Vancouver with veteran alpine ski racers Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett competing. It will be the fifth Olympics for Puckett and the fourth for Rahlves, the 2001 super G world champion.

“The audience will be amazed at the athletes’ abilities,” US ski cross coach Tyler Shepherd said. “I’m confident and excited for Daron and Casey.”

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Vancouver 2010

Melbourne (AFP) – Defending moguls champion Dale Begg-Smith and former Russian speed skater Tatiana Borodulina are Australia’s big medal hopes for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Begg-Smith, 25, became Australia’s first male to win an Olympic Winter Games skiing gold medal at Torino four years ago in the freestyle event and is fighting his way back from a knee reconstruction.

The Australian produced close to a perfect run in the final of the moguls to eclipse Finland’s Mikko Ronkainen and American Toby Dawson in one of the most competitive events at the Torino Games.

But the three-time World Cup champion’s hopes of competing in Vancouver looked doomed when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament at a World Cup meet at the Salt Lake Olympic course last January forcing him to undergo extensive knee surgery.

Fears that Begg-Smith would struggle to recapture his best form disappeared when he finished just off the podium in his two event return to the World Cup circuit in Finland in December.

“The knee is strong, getting better and is close to 100 percent,” Australia’s moguls coach Steve Desovich said.

“Dale has made an amazing comeback to competition and with more events and competition runs under his belt he should improve as the season wears on.”

Borodulina, 25, who reached the final of the 1 500m for Russia at the last Olympic Games, will be eligible to compete for Australia at the Vancouver Games after becoming a citizen last September.

In her debut season for her country, Borodulina skated to bronze in the 500m in Salt Lake City and also amassed a series of other top ten results.

Borodulina has qualified Australian places for all three short track distances at Vancouver following the completion of the North American leg of the World Cup season.

Torah Bright (snowboarding), Jacqui Cooper and Lydia Lassila (aerial skiing) along with Begg-Smith and Borodulina head the hopes of a contingent that looks to have the most depth of any Australian team at a Olympic Winter Games.

Australia have won three gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games — short track speed skater Steven Bradbury the last man standing after the final bend of the 1000m and aerial skier Alisa Camplin, both at Salt Lake in 2002 and Begg-Smith in 2006.

In stark contrast to the huge national appetite for the Olympic Summer Games, there is minimal public interest for Winter Games, attributable to the Australian sporting culture, temperate climate and… a general lack of snow.

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Vancouver 2010

Washington (AFP) – The USA will try to build upon past success and a huge multi-million dollar funding boost when the Olympic Winter Games begin at Vancouver.

Alpine ski star Lindsay Vonn, two-time gold medal short-track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, reigning world figure skating champion Evan Lysacek and world champion bobsled driver Steve Holcomb are among US favorites for 2010 gold.

“It’s really cool to see how much depth we have all around in all of our winter sports,” Vonn said. “Everyone is really optimistic about the Olympics.”

About 2,500 athletes from more than 80 nations are expected to compete for 258 medals over 10 sporting disciplines in Canada, with 220 US competitors trying to improve upon record American efforts in 2002 and 2006.

Americans won 25 medals, nine of them gold, in 2006 in Torino, the best Winter Olympic showing for the nation off US ice and snow. On home ground in 2002 at Salt Lake City, US athletes won a best-ever 34 medals, 10 of them gold.

But Germany topped the medal table both times and will be a strong contender again in addition to host Canada. The only time the Americans won the most medals at a Olympic Winter Games was in 1932 as a host in Lake Placid.

In the past four years, the US Olympic Committee (USOC) has spent 58.2 million dollars on Winter Olympians, a 55-percent boost over the prior four-year span.

“We have great expectations for this team,” former USOC chief executive Jim Scherr said last February, a month before his ouster began a leadership turmoil that has concluded barely two weeks before the Vancouver Opening Ceremony.

Scherr was pushed out last March after six years in his job. Disputes with the International Olympic Committee over revenue sharing and a failed cable TV network plus a humbling loss by Chicago in 2016 Olympic Summer Games voting followed.

Meanwhile, Vonn, 25, has dominated the women’s World Cup circuit and is on pace for a third overall title, leading the downhill, super-G and super-combined standings.

A crash during training in Torino wiped out Vonn’s 2006 Olympic dreams, but in 2010 she could inspire as well as feed off the success of others.

Reigning Olympic 1,500-meter champion Shani Davis and 5,000m champion Chad Hedrick plus 20-year-old Trevor Marsicano give the Americans a chance to match their seven-medal speedskating haul in Torino.

Lysacek, two-time reigning US champion Jeremy Abbott and three-time US champion Johnny Weir bring hope for the first Olympic men’s figure skating gold by an American since Brian Boitano in 1988.

Five-time Olympic medalist Ohno, World Cup bobsled leader Holcomb, luge world champion Erin Hamlin and women’s skeleton star Katie Uhlaender are also medal favorites.

Americans dominated snowboard in Torino and 2006 halfpipe champions Shaun White and Hannah Teter and snowboard cross champion Seth Wescott are all back.

US and Canadian women’s hockey teams are gold favorites while a new generation of young US talent could shock men’s favorites Russia and Canada.

“We understand the pride Canada has in their hockey,” US captain Jamie Langenbrunner said. “But I think the USA is starting to put their foot on the map too.”

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Vancouver 2010

London (AFP) – British bobsleigh world champion Nicola Minichello is set to have a third eye operation on Wednesday before heading out to Vancouver in search of Winter Olympic gold.

Minichello and brakewoman Gillian Cooke are one of Britain’s best hopes for a medal in Canada next month.

But as recently as December, sled driver Minichello feared she might not make it to the Games after losing 80 percent of the sight in her left eye.

“I feared my Olympic Games were over,” she said Tuesday.

However, she was given cause for optimism when British team doctors diagnosed Minichello was suffering from retinitis, the same condition that once affected Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes.

Minichiello underwent two bouts of laser surgery, which ensured she could return to the track with Cooke and complete their Olympic qualification.

Minichiello’s sight is up to 75 percent in her left eye now but she still needs one more operation before the British bobsleigh team head to Canada.

“Over the course of about four or five days I went from having full vision to losing 80 percent of the sight in my left eye,” Minichello said.

“It was a pretty worrying time but the surgery removed 50 percent of the fluid, which allowed us to go back on the ice and complete our qualification.

“It was just a random thing and one of the hurdles we have had to overcome this season. It has made us more focused.

“We are world champions and that gives us confidence that on our day we can beat anybody in the world.”

Minichiello and Cooke are members of a British team set to be the biggest for the Olympic Winter Games since Albertville in 1992.

The 19 competitors announced Tuesday took Britain’s squad to 43 across six sports and 10 disciplines.

Among those included were several skiers including medal prospect Chemmy Alcott despite the British sport’s governing body, Snowsports GB, struggling to avoid bankruptcy.

Funding agency UK Sport have set the British team a target of three medals, which would equal their best return from a Olympic Winter Games since 1936.

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Vancouver 2010

The London 2012 Young Leaders Programme launched today, offering young people the opportunity to make a positive difference to their lives and local communities.

London 2012

Welsh businesses have won both direct and supply chain contracts worth millions of pounds to help build the venues and infrastructure on the Olympic Park.

London 2012

PARK CITY (AFP) – Four world champions and an Olympic medalist were among 18 members of the US Olympic freestyle ski team for the Vancouver Winter Games that were announced Tuesday.

“We have a good mix of experienced veterans and some exciting young skiers making their first Olympic appearance,” US freestyle coach Jeff Wintersteen said.

World Cup season champion Hannah Kearney is joined on the US women’s moguls squad by 2002 Olympic runner-up Shannon Bahrke and first-time Olympians Heather McPhie and Michelle Roark.

Reigning world champion Patrick Deneen paces a men’s moguls lineup that also includes 2005 world champion Nate Roberts, rookie Bryon Wilson and Michael Morse. All are making Olympic debuts.

“We have a great mix of veterans and youth,” US moguls coach Scott Rawles said. “It has been a tough road to make it here but I’m really looking forward to Vancouver.”

Reigning world champion Ryan St. Onge and two-time Olympian Jeret “Speedy” Peterson head a men’s aerials squad that also includes Matt DePeters and Dylan Ferguson.

Newcomer Lacy Schnoor and 2006 Olympians Jana Lindsey and Emily Cook will be joined in women’s aerials by 16-year-old Ashley Caldwell, the first product from a program aimed at making aerialists from talented US gymnasts.

“I’m very pleased with this team,” US aerials coach Matt Christensen said. “It’s a really good feeling when you look at veteran athletes like Ryan, Speedy and Emily who have all won World Cups.”

Ski cross will make its Olympic debut in Vancouver with veteran alpine ski racers Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett competing. It will be the fifth Olympics for Puckett and the fourth for Rahlves, the 2001 super G world champion.

“The audience will be amazed at the athletes’ abilities,” US ski cross coach Tyler Shepherd said. “I’m confident and excited for Daron and Casey.”

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Vancouver 2010

Park City (AFP) – Reigning Olympic champions Seth Wescott, Shaun White and Hannah Teter and season halfpipe star Kelly Clark were on the US Olympic snowboard roster announced late Monday.

Americans have dominated Olympic snowboarding since it debuted in 1998 at Nagano, Japan, and have expectations soaring as high as their competitors ahead of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

“We are going in to the 2010 Games with one of the strongest athletic lineups possible,” US Snowboarding coach Peter Foley said. “We’re hoping to go into Vancouver and build on the successes we saw in 2006. This team is in position to do great things.”

Defending men’s halfpipe champion White, known as the “Flying Tomato” because of his red hair, leads a lineup that also includes double corkers Greg Bretz and Louie Vito plus Scotty Lago.

“Shaun is truly an amazing competitor,” US halfpipe coach Mike Jankowski said.

Clark, Teter, 2006 Olympic runner-up Gretchen Bleiler and Elena Hight return are all back from the 2006 US women’s halfpipe lineup.

Reigning snowboard cross champion Wescott will be joined by five-time X Games champion Nate Holland, 2006 Olympian Graham Watanabe and newcomer Nick Baumgartner.

“It was a huge battle to make this men’s SBX team. Six different US riders have already been on the World Cup podium this season, and only four of them make the Olympic Team,” Foley said.

“Vancouver is going to be an incredible fight for the podium, and our guys are ready for it.”

Lindsey Jacobellis, who settled for silver at the 2006 Olympics, returns to the women’s snowboard cross lineup as a favorite, joined by Olympic newcomers Faye Gulini and Callan Chythlook-Sifsof.

Alpine racers include two-time Olympian and 2002 bronze medalist Chris Klug and 2006 Olympians Tyler Jewell and Michelle Gorgone.

“Klug’s hard work and perseverance have really paid off,” Foley said. “What an amazing accomplishment it is for him to make the Olympic teams in ’98 and 2002, then miss the team in 2006 and now make the team again in 2010.”

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Vancouver 2010