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ALPINE SKIINGMountain Time - washingtonpost.com graphic
Boasting some of the lightest, fluffiest snow in the world, Utah's Wasatch Mountains play host to the skiing world's main event, the Olympic Alpine competition. The dry, powdery nature of the 500 inches of snow that sheets Utah's Rocky Mountain range each year is attributed to the warm moisture that rises from the Great Salt Lake into the cold, winter air. The alpine event will be staged at three venues, all within 50 miles of Salt Lake City.
The idea
of parity came tumbling down the three alpine venues as Janica
Kostelic, Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Stephan Eberharter dominated alpine
competition at the Salt Lake Games. Kostelic, nicknamed “The Croatian
Sensation,” thrust her country onto the Olympic Winter Games medal
charts with gold in the slalom, combined and giant slalom events and
silver in super-G. She became the first woman to win medals in four
alpine races and joined Toni Sailer of Austria and Jean-Claude Killy
as one of three Olympic Winter Games athletes ever to win three gold
medals. Aamodt of Norway won gold in men’s combined and super-G. And
Eberharter of Austria, the 32-year-old veteran whose career nearly
vaporized in the mid-1990s, won gold in giant slalom, silver in
super-G and bronze in the downhill.
MULTIPLE MEDAL WINNERS
- Kjetil Andre Aamodt (NOR) — gold combined; gold super-G
- Stephan Eberharter (AUT) — bronze downhill; silver super-G; gold giant slalom
- Bode Miller (USA) — silver combined; silver giant slalom
- Janica Kostelic (CRO) — gold combined; silver super-G; gold slalom; gold giant slalom
- Renate Goetschl (AUT) — silver combined; bronze downhill
- Anja Paerson (SWE) — bronze slalom; silver giant slalom
- Benhamin Raich (AUT) - bronze combined; bronze slalom
MEN
ALPINE
COMBINED |
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Kjetil Andre Aamodt (NOR) |
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Bode Miller (USA) |
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Benjamin Raich (AUT) |
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DOWNHILL |
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Fritz Strobl (AUT) |
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Lasse Kjus (NOR) |
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Stephan Eberharter (AUT) |
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SLALOM |
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Jean-Pierre Vidal (FRA) |
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Sebastien Amiez (FRA) |
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Benjamin Raich (AUT)* |
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GIANT
SLALOM |
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Stephan Eberharter (AUT) |
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Bode Miller (USA) |
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Lasse Kjus (NOR) |
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SUPER
GIANT SLALOM |
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Kjetil Andre Aamodt (NOR) |
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Stephan Eberharter (AUT) |
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Andreas Schifferer (AUT) |
* Alain Baxter (GBR) was stripped of the bronze medal on March 21st, 2002 for testing positive for methamphetamine contained in a Vicks Inhaler
WOMEN
ALPINE
COMBINED |
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Janica Kostelic (CRO) |
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Renate Goetschl (AUT) |
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Martina Ertl (GER) |
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DOWNHILL |
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Carole Montillet (FRA) |
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Isolde Kostner (ITA) |
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Renate Goetschl (AUT) |
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SLALOM |
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Janica Kostelic (CRO) |
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Laure Pequegnot (FRA) |
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Anja Paerson (SWE) |
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GIANT
SLALOM |
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Janica Kostelic (CRO) |
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Anja Paerson (SWE) |
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Sonja Nef (SUI) |
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SUPER
GIANT SLALOM |
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Daniela Ceccarelli (ITA) |
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Janica Kostelic (CRO) |
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Karen Putzer (ITA) |
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MEDAL TALLY |
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Total |
Croatia |
3 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
Austria |
2 |
2 |
5 |
9 |
France |
2 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
Norway |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
Italy |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
United States |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
Sweden |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Germany |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Switzerland |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Total |
10 |
10 |
10 |
30 |
VENUES & EVENTS
Snowbasin Ski
Area (Downhill, Combined, Super-G)
The downhill, super-G and combined events will take place at the
Snowbasin ski area - one of the oldest ski resorts in the United
States - located in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest,
about 87 kilometers (54 miles) from the Olympic Village. Downhill has
the longest course of the alpine events. Swiss Olympic
downhill champion Bernard Russi designed the 2-mile downhill course,
which was completed in 1998. The course has an 881-meter vertical drop
and the starting pitch has a 74-percent grade. Super-G or super giant
slalom is a long version of the slalom. In the super-G, skiers
will scream down nearly 2,000 vertical feet and turn through 30 to 35
gates in less than 120 seconds. The summit for the downhill is at
2,831 meters (9,288 feet) and the summit for the super-G is at 2,590
meters (8,497.4 feet). Capacity for the downhill is 23,500 spectators.
For the combined and super-G, it is 20,000.
Downhill: The longest, steepest, fastest event is the downhill, where skiers reach speeds near 80 mph. Each skier takes only one run down the course, and the fastest wins. But the skiers will not be surprised by the course: All are required to participate in three official training runs. The course is marked by a few gates, which are placed as necessary to control speed, and padding or fencing may also line the edges of the course for safety.
Super-G: Although the Super-G is primarily a speed event, competitors are required to maneuver through a series of gates (at least 35 men; 30 for women). Contestants are disqualified if both feet do not pass through each gate. As in the downhill, skiers have only one run down the course in competition, but there is a slope inspection before the event where skiers try to learn the course, hoping to avoid too-wide turns that cost valuable time.
Combined: One downhill run followed by two slalom runs. Fastest combined time wins.
Deer Valley
Resort (Slalom)
The slalom
events will be held at the Deer Valley resort, about 30 minutes
southeast of Salt Lake City near Park City. Built in 1981, the Deer
Valley resort is about 48 km (30 mi) from downtown Salt Lake City in
the historic mining town of Park City. It is spread over four
mountains: Empire Canyon, Flagstaff, Bald and Bald Eagle. Deer Valley
boasts 84 ski runs and six bowls that provide a range of skiing from
novice to expert. Deer Valley sits at a base of 2,002 meters (6,568
ft.) and has a summit of 2,917
meters (9,570 feet) with an overall vertical drop of 914 meters (2,999
ft.).
During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, the mountain will accommodate
20,000 spectators for the freestyle and alpine slalom skiing events.
Deer Valley Ski Resort has distinguished itself as an excellent habitat for elk, mountain lions, mule deer, black bear and moose. At its conception, the resort developed a master plan in conjunction with two counties and Park City to mitigate any environmental impact. The resort protects soil through matting, reseeding, mulching and water diversion.
Slalom has the shortest course and sharpest turns amongst all Alpine Skiing events.
Slalom: The slalom consists of two runs in one day down two different courses on the same slope. The winner has the fastest combined time. Both ski tips and feet must pass through each gate, so the skier's key to success is tight, controlled turning. Most skiers aim to put only their feet through the gates, pushing the gate poles aside with their bodies. The slalom course must have 55-75 gates for men, 45-65 for women on a tight, steep course in which gates can be less than three feet apart. Gates are set both horizontal and vertical to the slope, requiring different types of maneuvers. Competitors may side-step up the course before the competition but get no practice runs.
Park City Mountain Resort (Giant Slalom)
Park City Mountain resort will host the Olympic giant slalom
competition. Giant Slalom is held on a longer course than slalom, with
wider turns. Park City is home base for American Picabo Street, the
1998 Olympic gold medalist in the super-G and 1994 Olympic silver
medalist in downhill. Street also is the resort's director of skiing.
The start altitude for the GS course is at 2,500 meters (8,202 feet).
Capacity is 17,000.
Giant Slalom: The giant slalom is a looser, faster version of the slalom. The course is changed between the first and second runs. A competitor may side-step down the course before the event but is disqualified if he or she practices a turn or goes through a gate. The number of gates varies with the vertical drop of the course; in this Winter Olympics, the men will have 56-70 gates and the women will have 46-58.
