International Capsules: Alpine skiers wonder aloud about injecting courses
U.S. star Lindsey Vonn is a central figure in a debate consuming the Alpine skiing circuit with the Vancouver Games a little more than a month away: Is it a mistake to inject slopes with water in a bid to make courses more consistent and weather-resistant?
The practice can result in conditions Vonn — a two-time overall World Cup champion and Olympic medal favorite — likened to "pond ice" after she skied off-course during a slalom at Aspen, Colo., this season.
"It’s not ski racing anymore," she said that day. "I don’t think it does anyone a service to have it this difficult. It doesn’t look good on TV."
And that was before Vonn fell during a giant slalom on another injected course, at Lienz, Austria, last month, leaving her injured arm in a sling. The tumble prompted her husband, former U.S. Ski Team member Thomas Vonn, to say skiing officials’ use of water injection would be the equivalent of car-racing officials deciding to "spray oil randomly every couple hundred yards" on a track.
"They made the conditions pure ice directly at the gate and then grippy everywhere else, which, in my opinion, is the most dangerous condition a racer can encounter," Thomas Vonn wrote then in an e-mail to The Associated Press.
When a course is injected, water is forced 1 or 2 feet deep into the snow through tiny nozzles on a high-pressure hose. As cold air seeps in, a layer of hard snow and ice is created, so the slope will not deteriorate as dozens of racers ski over it or be rendered useless if the temperature gets too warm or too much rain or fresh, soft snow falls — vagaries of weather than can otherwise lead to postponement of races.
In two-run races — slaloms and giant slaloms — the top skiers from the first run go in reverse order in the second, so if the course doesn’t hold up well, the lower-ranked skiers could have an advantage.
Sometimes injection is used on only portions of a race course; sometimes on the whole thing.
"Once you have an injected surface, it’s very unlikely you’re going to lose an event, an important thing from the standpoint of TV contracts and prize money and World Cup standings," said Jim Hancock, the race chief at Aspen for more than a decade. "The downside is, it does make it really, really hard and icy and, in some cases, real slick."
According to an official from the International Ski Federation (known as FIS), it’s likely that injection will be used at Whistler, British Columbia, where Alpine events will be held during the Feb. 12-28 Olympics.
"It lets us hold a lot of the races, even with changing weather conditions — warm temperatures, rain, snowfall," said women’s World Cup race director Atle Skaardal, a former racer and coach for Norway. "Basically, injection is insurance."
Skaardal, who will help oversee women’s Alpine racing at Whistler, expects injection to be used there throughout a course for technical races (slalom, giant slalom) and possibly for parts of the speed events (downhill, super-G). He thinks it’s more likely that injection will be used for men’s races than women’s.
"The experience we’ve had is that for ladies, it’s not working out that well for speed courses," Skaardal acknowledged in a telephone interview Thursday. "It makes it quite brutal in downhill and super-G."
Injected courses also tend to be harder, which translates to more pounding when racers fall.
So it also is part of the larger conversation about a recent rash of injuries to prominent skiers — one of the factors cited as a possible explanation, along with questions about equipment, gates that don’t break apart and whether speeds have simply grown too fast.
Downhill world champion John Kucera, World Cup slalom champion Jean-Baptiste Grange and former women’s overall World Cup winner Nicole Hosp are among the racers already ruled out for Vancouver. Peter Fill, Pierre-Emmanuel Dalcin, TJ Lanning, Lara Gut and Resi Stiegler also have been sidelined long-term.
"We now have discussions going on: ‘What is the reason behind (all the injuries)?’ If we would know it, we would change the rules immediately, of course," FIS president Gian-Franco Kasper said. "One thing we have also to say is we are in an Olympic season, and many athletes have to qualify. They take absolute full risk because they see the Olympic Games coming up."
After her fall in Austria, Vonn said: "Since the injections, the women have had a lot more injuries. You know, it’s not appropriate for women’s racing. ... I personally do not think that they need to be injecting the course. But if they inject, they just need to do it right. It needs less water in the snow. They need to find a system that works, because this system is definitely not working."
As Herbert Mandl, the coach of the Austrian women’s team, put it: "A slightly wrong judgment can ... completely destroy a course."
Racers have complained about how slippery slopes become when injected. They also note that, safety issues aside, the results of a race can be affected.
"It’s so hard to know how much attacking you can do," said Sweden’s Anja Paerson, another two-time overall World Cup champion and owner of five Olympic medals. "Some turns are just slick, and some are really grippy."
Said Germany’s Kathrin Hoelzl, the reigning world champion in giant slalom who won at Aspen: "Ice is OK. Too icy is not good."
Hoelzl said it’s easier for men to deal with icy, injected courses. Indeed, men’s World Cup races have been using this method for more years than women’s events, which only have made it a regular practice the past two seasons.
Vonn looking forward to return to speed events
HAUS IM ENNSTAL, Austria — Lindsey Vonn is looking forward to a weekend of speed events, knowing that those races aren’t as taxing on her bruised arm.
The defending overall World Cup champion has been hampered by a bruised left arm since last month’s crash in the Lienz giant slalom, but is confident ahead of downhills scheduled for Friday and Saturday, and a super-G slated for Sunday.
"It’s a lot easier to ski downhill with a hurt hand than it is to ski slalom," Vonn said. "Although the time where it is really hurting me is at the start. ... I can deal with the pain. It’s nice that it will only hurt for 10 seconds, instead of in a slalom it hurts for the entire run."
Vonn has been unbeaten in downhill since winning the crystal globe for best competitor in the discipline last season.
She won back-to-back races in Lake Louise, Alberta, in December. A third downhill in Val d’Isere, France, was canceled and moved to Haus im Ennstal.
Vonn and other favorites were among the early starters who were hampered by strong winds and heavy snowfall during downhill training on Thursday, as the later starters benefited from drastically improved conditions.
Vonn finished 10th, 1.22 seconds behind leader Lotte Smiseth Sejersted. The Norwegian was among the later starters who benefited from the better conditions.
Overall World Cup leader Maria Riesch of Germany, who overtook Vonn in the standings last Sunday when she finished fourth in a slalom and the American did not finish, placed 31st in Thursday’s training.
Riesch is hoping for better weather on Friday.
"You can only hope for a fair race," said Riesch, who leads Vonn by five points.
Like last season, the race for the overall title is shaping up as a battle between Riesch and Vonn. Kathrin Zettel is only 30 points back in third, but the Austrian is skipping the downhill races, and Anja Paerson of Sweden is already more than 250 points behind Riesch.
Vonn’s friend and rival also has been anticipating the weekend’s races.
The German was 19 years old and in her second year on the circuit when she won a downhill and a super-G on the Krummholz course in January 2004, the first two of her 12 World Cup victories so far.
"Since I (found out) there would be races again here, I have been looking forward to them. Finally Haus again," Riesch said.
-- EricWillemsen
Sejersted fastest in downhill training; Vonn 10th
HAUS IM ENNSTAL, Austria — Lotte Smiseth Sejersted of Norway benefited from better weather Thursday to post the fastest time in a World Cup downhill training.
Sejersted charged down the Krummholz course in Austria in 1 minute, 41.22 seconds to beat Chemmy Alcott of Britain by 0.15 seconds. Regina Mader of Austria was third.
Overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn was 1.22 seconds back in 10th.
The weather improved midway through the session. Skiers in the second start group — who are normally slower than the first 30 — ended up with the seven best times.
Vonn was among the early starters who were hampered by heavy wind and snowfall.
Vonn, who has a bruised arm, has won two downhill events this season.
The event starts Friday with a downhill.
Rickardsson wins 6th stage of Tour de Ski
DOBBIACO, Italy — Daniel Rickardsson of Sweden won the sixth stage of the Tour de Ski on Thursday and Petter Northug of Norway retained the overall lead.
Rickardsson clocked 23 minutes, 14.5 seconds in the 10-kilometer classical-style race for his first career World Cup victory.
Lukas Bauer of the Czech Republic finished second, 1.7 seconds behind, and Northug was third.
In the overall standings, Northug holds a 20.1-second lead over Marcus Hellner of Sweden.
Justyna Kowalczyk of Poland won the women’s 5-kilometer classic event and reclaimed the overall lead from Italy’s Arianna Follis, who placed sixth.
Kowalczyk crossed in 12 minutes, 37.6 seconds. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland placed second, 11.6 seconds behind, and Petra Majdic of Slovenia was third.
Kowalczyk holds a 14.1-second lead over Majdic in the overall standings, while Follis dropped to third, 23.2 seconds behind.
Two more stages remain in the Tour de Ski, with the uphill finale Sunday in Val di Fiemme.
Norwegian men win biathlon World Cup relay
OBERHOF, Germany — Five-time Olympic champion Ole Einar Bjorndalen led Norway to an overwhelming victory in a biathlon World Cup relay race Thursday.
Halvard Hanevold put Norway on course with perfect shooting in the leadoff leg and Bjorndalen had to reload once but kept his team well ahead to cover the 4 x 7.5 kilometers in 1 hour, 17 minutes, 3.3 seconds.
France was 27.5 seconds behind and Germany was third.
Winter Sports
49ers’ Davis to be honorary U.S. curling captain
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Vernon Davis is headed to his first Pro Bowl and his first Olympics, too.
The star San Francisco 49ers tight end will be an honorary captain for the U.S. men’s curling team next month at the Vancouver Olympics. The opportunity came about after Davis gave curling a try in November and loved it.
"I’m excited for the opportunity. It’s quite an honor," Davis said Thursday. "I look forward to going to the Olympics and being an honorary captain. And I look forward to learning more and meeting those guys and finding out what their practice is like."
Davis, who last Sunday tied Antonio Gates’ NFL record for touchdowns by a tight end with 13, shot several curling public service announcements this week at 49ers team headquarters and with the San Francisco Bay Area Curling Club at the San Jose Sharks’ practice ice.
"I got a chance to really show my personality, and they let me do what I wanted at the end. I had a blast with it," Davis said.
Those PSAs will be used at curling clubs around the country to help promote the sport’s growth.
Canada boasts about 1 million curlers, to only around 15,000 in the United States — mostly in the Midwest. The number of club curlers around the U.S. has grown significantly since the 2006 Turin Olympics, and the hope is there will be another boom after these Winter Olympics.
"We’re definitely honored to have someone of his talent stepping out of his normal space on the football field to help support the sport of curling," Rick Patzke, USA Curling’s chief operating officer, said in a phone interview Thursday.
"Everything I’m reading, his talent on the field speaks for itself, but it’s inspiring to see what he’s doing outside of football, giving back in all the causes he’s supporting — including curling."
The target dates for Davis to be in Vancouver are Feb. 19-21.
As part of his gig, Davis will meet the team and experience life in the Olympic Village, attend a match in Vancouver to support the Americans, get to enjoy a VIP curling experience at the Vancouver Curling Club and receive a one-day pass to the U.S. Olympic Committee’s USA House.
The 25-year-old Davis finished his fourth NFL season with career highs of 78 catches and 965 yards. He will start for the NFC team in the Pro Bowl on Jan. 31 in Miami — on his 26th birthday.
His Olympic experience will just be another highlight from a very special year for Davis. He’s insisted all along he only needed opportunities to become a big-time player.
"It’s been quite a run," he said. "I’m not surprised. This is what I expected. Sometimes to get to a certain place, it takes time. That’s been my case. But at the same time I’m very happy about the opportunities."
This is a first for the curling team to carry an honorary captain, though the curlers have partnered with the Green Bay Packers on projects in the past.
"It’s a great opportunity for the sport to have a Pro Bowl-type athlete interested in our sport," U.S. coach Phill Drobnick said. "We’re really excited to interact with someone who has worked so hard to raise his level of play in his sport and become undoubtedly one of the best tight ends in the NFL. This is definitely something great for the sport of curling, and the team looks forward to seeing him in Vancouver."
U.S. skip, or captain, John Shuster is headed back to the Olympics after capturing a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Games — the first ever American medal in the sport and first in a major men’s competition since 1978.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Davis, known for his pure athleticism and speed, first took to the curling ice in early November and was a natural after receiving a short lesson.
All the curling folks hope Davis’ infectious personality comes through in the PSAs. Patzke praised the 49ers’ production crew for "donating their time and talents."
"That was awesome. I’m looking forward to meeting him," Patzke said. "When people see these athletes who they know are very good and know they’re athletic, it helps to overcome the image of curling not being an athletic sport. Having Vernon speak on behalf of curling also brings that legitimacy to the sport."
-- Janie McCauley
Figure Skating
Asada-Kim rivalry could add spice to Vancouver
Kim Yu-na is the reigning world champion. Mao Asada won the title the year before. Kim has won three of the last four Grand Prix finals. That other year? Asada.
This game of "Can you top this?" has been going on since the figure skaters were juniors. Although Kim has dominated this season while Asada has struggled, there’s little doubt the two will be at the center of the spotlight at the Vancouver Olympics.
If that scenario sounds a little familiar, well, it is. It was only about 18 months ago that Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson brought their two-woman show to the Beijing Games.
"I think we thrived off of each other," said Liukin, who won the Olympic title while her U.S. teammate took silver. "It definitely brought out the best in both of us."
Though neither competed last season, the two reunited in October for the "Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular" show, which will be shown Sunday on NBC.
"It was a lot of fun," Johnson said of the show, which also features 2006 Olympian Emily Hughes and two-time Olympic silver medalist Elvis Stojko.
Although the sports barely resemble each other, figure skating and gymnastics share a common bond. They both combine art and athleticism, are subjective and have provided some of the most iconic moments of the Olympics. Women command the majority of attention.
They’re also glamour events, sports people watch and often find themselves talking about the next day. That there’s usually a big-name rivalry to spice things up — real or imagined, friendly or icy — only adds to the fun.
"I think we both knew, going into the Olympics, that there really wasn’t anyone we were too concerned about besides each other," Liukin said.
Although Sasha Cohen, Irina Slutskaya and Sarah Hughes were all considered contenders for figure skating gold, you really have to go back to Tara and Michelle in ‘98 for the last time there were two skaters clearly ahead of the pack.
Granted, Kim is the undisputed leader of that pack now. She has just two losses in two-plus seasons (the 2009 Grand Prix final and ‘08 worlds), and opened this year by blowing away Asada — and everyone else — by 35 points at Trophee Eric Bompard.
Asada actually fell behind countrywoman Miki Ando, who was second to Kim at last month’s Grand Prix final, after a tough Grand Prix season. Asada didn’t even qualify for the Grand Prix final after finishing a distant fifth at the Rostelecom Cup.
But she appears to have gotten her mojo back, winning the Japanese nationals in commanding fashion.
"I hope that she skates up to it," said Kim’s coach, Brian Orser, who knows a thing or two about rivalries as one of half of the "Battle of the Brians." "These two girls have taken ladies figure skating to a whole new level, and it’s funny, because I feel that Boitano and I did that, too.
"Because of him, I got better. Because of Mao, Yu-na’s better and vice versa. They’re just better skaters because of each other," Orser said. "And at the end of the day, they’ll be thanking each other for that."
Unlike Asada and Kim, who is from South Korea, Liukin and Johnson were teammates. Though they trained at different gyms, they saw each other every month at national team training camps. No need to scour the Internet for scouting reports, they had first-hand looks at everything the other gymnast was doing.
The two combined to lead the U.S. women to the silver medal, then had to turn their attention to the individual competition. Not exactly easy when your main rival is also your friend — not to mention your roommate in the Olympic village.
But gymnastics and skating aren’t like skiing or swimming or track. There is no head-to-head competition, no clock to race. Asada and Kim will know the other is there — they’ll only be reminded a few thousand times — but Johnson said there’s only one person each woman can worry about: herself.
"Just make sure you’re thinking about yourself and knowing what you can do as a competitor. You can’t control what anyone else does," Johnson said.
"It’s really hard to do," she added. "You constantly want to watch and see who’s out there and what’s out there to beat. But that can psych you out. There’s nothing you can do. It’s only your routines, and your body."
And try not to get caught up in the surroundings, Johnson said.
At least, not until the competition is over.
"It’s no different than any other competition you’ve ever competed in. But enjoy it," said Johnson, who remembers "every second" of Beijing and cherishes the pictures she took there. "Take time to see things and meet people, because you’re in the company of the world’s greatest and you probably won’t be there again."
-- Nancy Amour
Auto Racing
Sainz, Despres extend leads in Dakar Rally
SANTIAGO, Chile — Former champions Stephane Peterhansel and Marc Coma made determined bids to revive their Dakar Rally chances, while Carlos Sainz and motorcyclist Cyril Despres extended their leads in the sixth stage Thursday.
Peterhansel, who wrote off his hopes of a 10th Dakar title on Wednesday when he lost the lead and fell more than 2 hours behind, claimed a record 53rd stage victory when he beat Sainz by 47 seconds, and was nearly 9 minutes ahead of third-place Mark Miller of the United States through the Atacama Desert.
While Peterhansel jumped two spots to eighth overall and remained more than 2 hours off the pace in his BMW, two-time world rally champion Sainz improved his lead over Volkswagen teammates Nasser Al-Attiyah by nearly 11 minutes to 15:24, and Miller, who was 17:47 back.
Defending motorbike champ Coma tore over the last 15 miles of sand on the route paralleling the Pacific coast from Antofagasta to Iquique to finish 10 minutes, 34 seconds ahead of Despres, and 10:38 in front of Helder Rodrigues to take the stage. However, Despres still improved his overall lead to more than 42 minutes over Contardo Lopez of Chile.
Meanwhile, Italian rider Luca Manca, ninth overall at the start, was critically injured in a fall 6 miles into the 260-mile route. He was airlifted to Del Cobre Hospital at Calama and placed in an induced coma on a respirator with critical head injuries that doctors described as "life-threatening."
"These are critical injuries," said Dr. Miguel Cortes, who treated Manca. "He’s on a ventilator and in an induced coma so we can keep him resting and so he does not fight the ventilator."
In another accident Thursday, Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves of BMW broke his collarbone in a crash and withdrew.
The rally returns to Antofagasta on Friday with the longest stage of the race, 373 miles, before the only rest day on Saturday.
Italian motorcyclist Luca Manca injured in crash
SANTIAGO, Chile — Italian motorcyclist Luca Manca was critically injured in a fall Thursday in the Dakar Rally and was placed in an induced coma.
Officials at Del Cobre Hospital in Calama, where the 29-year-old Manca was airlifted, said he sustained critical head injuries and was breathing on a respirator. Officials described his condition as "life-threatening."
"These are critical injuries," said Dr. Miguel Cortes, who treated Manca following the accident. "He’s on a ventilator and in an induced coma so we can keep him resting and so he does not fight the ventilator."
Race officials said Manca was likely to be transferred later to Santiago.
Manca, lying ninth overall in his first Dakar, crashed 6 miles into the 260-mile stage through the Atacama Desert in northern Chile from Antofagasta to Iquique.
He was praised following Wednesday’s fifth stage for giving defending champion Marc Coma of Spain a rear wheel so Coma could finish the stage.
In another accident Thursday, Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves of BMW broke his collarbone in a crash and withdrew.
The Dakar Rally is considered one of the most dangerous events in motor sports. On Saturday, a 28-year-old woman was killed when a vehicle taking part in the race veered off the course and hit her during the opening stage.
Last year, French motorcyclist Pascal Terry died during the rally.
Olympics
Eddie ‘the Eagle’ carries Olympic torch
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Former Olympic ski jumper Eddie "the Eagle" Edwards carried the torch down the streets of Winnipeg.
The British ski jumper who gained a cult following during the 1988 Calgary Olympics — despite coming in dead last — carried the torch for several blocks in frigid weather on Thursday.
People honked their horns and shouted encouragement as Edwards passed.
Edwards says carrying the torch was "almost as good" as jumping in Calgary more than 20 years ago.
He thanked Canada for including him in the celebrations for the Vancouver Games, which start next month.
Olympic medalists among 10 athletes endorsing P&G
CINCINNATI — Three gold medalists and silver medalist Sasha Cohen are among 10 more U.S. Olympic athletes who will endorse Procter & Gamble products at the winter Olympics Games next month.
Along with Cohen, gold medalists skier Julia Mancuso, snowboarder Seth Wescott and speedskater Chad Hedrick are among 10 athletes joining five-time medalist Apolo Anton Ohno and other U.S. team members sponsored by Cincinnati-based P&G.
The others newly endorsing P&G are speedskater J.R. Celski, hockey player Julie Chu, skeleton sledder Noelle Pikus-Pace, pairs skaters Rockne Brubaker and Keauna McLaughlin and curling competitor Nicole Joraanstad.
P&G says it plans promotions in the weeks leading to the games, which run Feb. 12 through Feb. 28.
Track & Field
British relay team finally get Worlds gold medals
LONDON — Thirteen years after Britain lost the 4x400 relay at the World Championships to a drug-tainted American team, the runners will receive their gold medals.
The U.S. quartet was disqualified after runner Antonio Pettigrew admitted using performance-enhancing drugs. The British team was upgraded from second to first in the results from the 1997 championships in Athens.
Retired British runners Roger Black, Jamie Baulch, Iwan Thomas and Mark Richardson will receive the gold medals at a ceremony organized by UK Athletics.
Cycling
Swedish cyclist Axelsson tests positive for doping
STOCKHOLM — Cycling officials say Swedish rider Nicklas Axelsson has tested positive for doping for the second time in his career.
Swedish Cycling Federation anti-doping chief Ulf Naslund says Axelsson tested positive for the endurance drug EPO in September.
Naslund said Thursday it is too early to discuss what disciplinary measures may be considered.
In 2001, Axelsson was caught using EPO at the world championships in Lisbon and was banned from competing for four years. The sentence was later reduced, and the cyclist started competing again in 2004.
