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| U.S. Ski Team is loving new training center at Copper Mountain | |||
| Wednesday, November 16, 2011 05:48 |
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By John Meyer, The Denver Post COPPER MOUNTAIN — There were many effusive comments from U.S. Ski Team athletes and speeches from corporate executives, but the significance of the new U.S. Ski Team Speed Center was told most eloquently Tuesday in the tears of former downhill great Picabo Street. Street got choked up more than once, contemplating what the venue will do for U.S. downhillers, this season and for many years to come. "I cried when I saw this," Street said about halfway down the course between ski team training sessions. "It made me think about what kind of athlete I could have become . . ." Street's voice trembled. "Because I was pretty darned good, and I won a lot, and I can't help but think if I had this . . . I'm totally crying right now. It just opens so many doors for them." Because of the course length required for high-speed downhill and super-G (the "speed" events), and the safety netting required to make conditions safe for racers skiing in excess of 60 mph, finding early-season speed training is next to impossible. Teams often have to make do with venues that can't come close to replicating downhill race conditions. Until now. Read about the training course set up for the U.S. Ski Team at Copper Mountain at denverpost.com. By the way, Copper Mountain is OPEN and got 4 inches of snow overnight (8 inches in the last 72 hours). The U.S. Ski Team's mogul skiers are at Wolf Creek this week - and you can meet them! The season's first men's World Cup downhill/super-G races are right around the corner — Nov. 26-27 at Lake Louise, Alberta, and the following week at Beaver Creek at the Birds of Prey World Cup. The first women's speed races are Dec. 2-4 at Lake Louise. PHOTO: U.S. Ski Team member Julia Mancuso. Associated Press |
