International Capsules: Riders still rock halfpipe despite Pearce injury
They propel themselves from the heights of the halfpipe — flipping, spinning, hovering in the air, pulling off tricks that often look one part painting, another part video game.
Lost is the reality that the halfpipe kids — with their long hair, baggy clothes and flair for making it all look so easy — are putting their lives on the line every time they drop into the pipe, as the recent injury to Olympic hopeful Kevin Pearce illustrated.
Pearce, one of the world’s best snowboarders, slammed his forehead on the side of the halfpipe in practice Dec. 31, while working on one of the sport’s toughest tricks. He has been in a Salt Lake City hospital since then with a brain injury, now in serious condition and on a long, slow path toward recovery.
"In my 18 years of snowboarding, I’d never seen an accident like that, and I hope I never see another one like it again," said Kelly Clark, a 2002 Olympic gold medalist who will be in her third Olympics this year.
Indeed, most people in the sport viewed the Pearce accident as a fluke, and there’s a dearth of similar incidents that would suggest his injury was part of a trend.
In fact, wearing patches that say "I ride 4 Kevin" on their gear, snowboarders such as Pearce’s friend, Danny Davis, came back to the next event and amped up their difficulty. It was their way of paying tribute to their friend, who will be on the minds of many over the upcoming month filled with more Olympic qualifiers, the Winter X Games and the Olympics.
But they concede it was scary seeing a comrade go down in that fashion.
"You have to get past the fear and just throw out your passion," said Hannah Teter, the 2006 Olympic gold medalist.
Halfpipe skills, like those in almost every sport, are an ever-evolving, envelope-pushing list of risks that riders must keep up with if they want to remain among the elite. This year, American stars Shaun White and Louie Vito are among those who will try back-to-back double-cork jumps — a series of twists packed inside two flips — and the conventional wisdom is the Olympic gold medalist will be the one who best pulls off that stunt. Pearce was working on the double-cork when he was injured.
Also, the height of the halfpipe, essentially a hollowed-out, 500-foot-long ice shell with no top, has been raised by nearly 25 percent, to 22 feet, since the last Olympics.
Increasing the difficulty of the tricks and the size of the walls obviously increases the level of danger. Pearce’s injury, however, isn’t typical of most halfpipe injuries. More often, concussions in this sport happen when a rider slams the back of his head into the ice at the bottom of the halfpipe after a misjudged jump.
They also suffer their share of broken legs, arms and dislocated shoulders — all part of doing business in an X-Games world. And no different than the injuries suffered by the athletes in the more traditional discipline of Alpine skiing.
"Everyone out there knows it’s an action sport, and there’s an inherent risk that’s accepted by the athletes and coaches who participate," said Jeremy Forster, program director for snowboarding at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association.
Riders and coaches point to the independent spirit of the sport and say they structure their training to keep things as safe as possible. Jake Burton, one of snowboarding’s godfathers, said the size of the halfpipe walls were increased to 22 feet because that’s what the riders wanted, and "it’s super important to listen to the riders and build what they want."
Helmets are a must in pro snowboarding, and one benefit of that is the inevitable trickle-down that comes when recreational riders want to emulate the people they admire. A study released last year said 48 percent of U.S. skiers and boarders wore helmets last ski season, compared with only 25 percent in 2002-03.
Wearing a helmet, of course, does not guarantee safety.
"Pro riders take calculated risks, but they snowboard for a living and train for these runs," Burton said. "If you talk to riders, they don’t want to stop trying new tricks just because there is risk involved."
Unlike freestyle skiing, which evolved slowly and, in some cases, even fought some progress in the name of safety, snowboarding at the top levels has most often advanced organically, with the riders — both on snowboards and their summer counterparts, skateboards — the ultimate judges of what’s safe and what’s not.
They practice hundreds of jumps off trampolines and into foam pits before taking them out to the pipe. Likewise, they say they adhere to doctors’ orders when injuries come into play.
"The medical community dictates that," said Bud Keene, who coaches White and now works as the developmental coach for USSA. "It’s completely taken out of our hands."
When asked if there were any clearly defined guidelines either for advancing with new skills or for handling injuries, Keene deferred to Forster, who said there were not.
One doctor who treats head injuries said he appreciates the cutting-edge nature of snowboarding and other sports like it, but still think some concrete guidelines would be appropriate.
"The Kevin Pearces of the world are developing new, unique moves that’s bringing the sport and its athleticism to a very different level," says Dr. Gerard Gioia of the Children’s National Medical Center, and director of the Safe Concussion Outcome, Recovery and Education program. "That’s very admirable. But I think to suggest that it’s OK for there to be no guidelines would be misguided."
On the recreational side, the rate of snowboard injuries has increased from 3.37 to nearly seven per 1,000 snowboarder visits in the past decade. That could be attributed as much to an increase in the number of less-skilled snowboarders — who have fed the growing popularity of the sport — as to a referendum on what the pros are doing.
"If responsible parents want kids to take up the sport and the kids begin to learn there are no rules, no guidelines, no understanding of safety aspects, that’s going to back people off, or should back people off," Gioia said of the parents.
Which brings up the topic of snowboardcross — the halfpipe’s more violent, unpredictable cousin.
Introduced to the Olympics four years ago, it’s a four-person, downhill free-for-all, over bumps, steep terrain and curves, where intentional contact is illegal but "unintentional" bumping and jostling for position is what makes the sport click. First person across the line wins in these breakneck races, and quite often, not everyone crosses the line on both feet.
Two elite level riders have died in that sport since it became a more widely contested event in the past decade. American champion Lindsey Jacobellis said she has suffered at least three "pretty good" concussions over the past several years, including one that knocked her out at the end of last season.
"You see legs shattered, knees blown, arms shattered, shoulders out of joint," said defending Olympic snowboardcross champion Seth Wescott. "Pretty much every trauma that can happen to the human body. It’s hard dealing with the fact that that’s the reality of what your job is."
That is not, however, the story they tell on the halfpipe side, where broken bones and mild concussions happen, but more severe injuries such as Pearce’s are uncommon. Keene, a coaching veteran of more than 20 years, said there were no professional halfpipe deaths "that I’m aware of." He doesn’t think the Pearce injury will trigger any immediate changes in the protocol.
"It didn’t have anything to do with the double he was trying," Keene said. "Yes, it was closer to the limit of his ability, which increases your chance of failing. But that injury could’ve happened on any trick that’s been done in last 16 years."
Bode Miller wins World Cup super combi in Wengen
WENGEN, Switzerland — Just in time for the Olympics, Bode Miller is a winner again.
With the Vancouver Games less than a month away, Miller won a World Cup super combined Friday for his first victory in almost two years.
"Winning was great," he said. "I’m really happy for a win. It’s a great time of the year for me to be moving forward."
The New Hampshire skier missed much of the offseason while considering retirement and skipped recent races to rest his injured right ankle.
Miller completed his slalom run in 49.05 seconds after leading the morning downhill for a combined time of 2 minutes, 35.96 seconds. It was his 32nd World Cup victory.
Carlo Janka of Switzerland was 0.37 back on the Lauberhorn course, and Swiss teammate Silvan Zurbriggen was third, 0.42 off the lead. Ted Ligety of the U.S. was fifth.
Miller turned to look at the clock and giant screen for several seconds after crossing the finish line. He tapped his ski poles behind his back in a small gesture of satisfaction before spinning to face the crowd — a Wengen record of 17,500 for Friday racing.
He stood still for several seconds, as if savoring the moment. He then was greeted by a grinning Zurbriggen, who heartily grabbed Miller’s fist before Janka offered his congratulations.
"He’s a great skier," said Zurbriggen, also third last year. "He’s a great guy and he’s always really nice to us. He did an unbelievably good downhill ... and he was the best today."
U.S. men’s coach Sasha Rearick lauded Miller’s work during the three-week holiday break.
"Is it a surprise to me that he can come out and win? No," Rearick said. "He’s one of the best skiers in the world. He knows this hill so well and he executed his game plan."
Janka said Miller looked good in both disciplines.
"Second place was all I could get," he said. "Bode in the downhill was too strong."
Miller’s downhill run gave him a 0.69 cushion on Janka, who won the Wengen super combi last year. Miller said he made four big mistakes in his downhill, and that skiing aggressively gives him the least pain in the technically demanding slalom. He completed it without major errors despite new boots, bindings and skis.
"The most important thing was the equipment," Miller said. "That’s not the best way to go out there and try to win, but I have to do it. I started so late this year I had no time to test."
Miller last won a World Cup race in March 2008, a downhill in Kvitfjell, Norway. He last finished on the podium as runner-up in the classic Lauberhorn downhill exactly one year ago. He won the race in 2007 and ‘08 and will be one of the favorites Saturday.
Benjamin Raich had the fastest slalom time to move up from 15th to fourth, and maintained his lead in the overall World Cup standings. The Austrian leads Janka 689-657. Ligety is seventh overall with 362 points, and Miller moved up to ninth place with 318 points.
Ligety, who won gold in traditional combined at the 2006 Turin Olympics at age 21. Rearick called Ligety’s performance Friday "one of the best runs of his young downhill career."
"Ted had a solid second run in the slalom," Rearick said. "It was good to see him fight to a finish."
Miller is third in the super-combined standings after three races, trailing Raich and Janka. The fourth and final event is at Kitzbuehel, Austria, next weekend.
-- Graham Dunbar
Two Didiers carry Swiss hopes at historic Wengen
WENGEN, Switzerland — Swiss skiers Didier Cuche and Didier Defago have little time to ponder their Olympic medal prospects during a January World Cup schedule stacked with classic races.
None is more important to the two Didiers than Switzerland’s signature sports event — the Lauberhorn downhill at Wengen on Saturday.
Defago will defend his title on the storied, 2½-minute run beneath the Eiger and Jungfrau mountains. Cuche, a two-time World Cup downhill champion who leads this season’s standings, seeks his first win after two near misses.
"Of course, it’s the biggest dream to win here," said Cuche, who was edged by an inspired Bode Miller in 2007 and ‘08. "It’s in the heart of Switzerland as a nation.
"I’m going to do everything possible for the win on Saturday. But I’m happy that I’ve twice come close to making the perfect downhill run."
Defago delivered the race of his life to deny Miller’s hat trick and win his first World Cup downhill at age 31.
"It’s a good feeling to be here again, but it’s different to last year," said Defago, who then completed a historic double by winning Austria’s classic downhill at Kitzbuehel seven days later.
"Now it’s very important that I concentrate only on 2010. January is a long month, a big month, and after that we have the Olympic Games. It will be very hard psychologically."
The two Didiers enter the Olympic year healthy after recent injury scares. Defago fractured a thumb in an October training fall, and Cuche cracked a rib when he crashed in practice at Val d’Isere, France, last month.
Though still third in the overall World Cup standings, Cuche has lost some of the momentum he gained by winning the season-opening giant slalom and downhill races.
"For sure it was a good start and I feel good," he said. "But I don’t see everything going so easily as I had at Soelden (Austria) or in Lake Louise (Canada).
"Everybody has to fight, and me too, to be fast."
Defago showed his speed when he finished second last month at Bormio, Italy, a bumpy track even more physically demanding than the longer 2.8-mile Lauberhorn.
"Bormio was a crazy and good downhill for me," said Defago, who is sixth in the overall standings. "Since the beginning of the season I have had high ups and downs but I hope now that I find my cruising altitude."
Both Didiers are working well with new speed coach Mauro Pini after longtime mentor Patrice Morisod opted to join the French team last year.
Both contacted Pini to help tempt him from his job as personal coach to Swiss teenage talent Lara Gut.
"It was not easy for Mauro to bring new impulse to a team that was already doing well," Defago said.
While Gut won two world championship silver medals last February, Cuche made history as the oldest men’s world champion with victory in the super-G at Val d’Isere. He added silver in downhill, just 0.04 second behind Canada’s John Kucera.
Cuche, 35, also would be the oldest Olympic champion if he wins on Whistler Mountain during the Feb. 12-28 Vancouver Games. Norway’s Kjetil Andre Aamodt was 34 years, 6 months when he won the super-G at Turin four years ago.
Vancouver likely will be Cuche’s last chance to add to his super-G silver medal from the 1998 Nagano Games.
Defago is aiming for the 2014 Sochi Games to fulfill an ambition of racing in Russia.
"If I can win the medal this winter, so much the better," he said.
First, Cuche and Defago must arrive in Canada safely, with Wengen and Kitzbuehel unforgiving when punishing mistakes.
"You must make the physical preparation for every race the same," Defago said. "And if I concentrate only on the Olympic Games and I lose it all, I’ve lost a whole season."
Being secluded in the Olympic athletes’ village also offers respite compared to the intense attention that surrounds the 80th annual Lauberhorn meeting.
"The demands of the public, the sponsors, the media are always bigger and so it’s difficult to limit all that and be focused on the races," Cuche said.
"Everyone wants the same thing ... to have the fastest possible form at the Olympic Games. It’s a hard process."
-- Graham Dunbar
Riesch believes overall WCup title chances gone
MARIBOR, Slovenia — Maria Riesch feels as if her shot at winning the women’s World Cup overall title has already passed even with eight weeks still left in the season.
The German trails defending champion Lindsey Vonn by 112 points, which wouldn’t seem to be insurmountable with 15 races still to go.
But after this weekend’s technical events on the Poherje course, speed races — where the American has been untouchable this season — are coming up in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, and St. Moritz, Switzerland.
"It’s going to be very, very difficult if you look at the remaining schedule," said Riesch despite having reduced her deficit by 80 points in Tuesday’s night slalom in Flachau, Austria.
"There is not much calculating needed to see that it’s almost impossible for me (to win), especially the way Lindsey is racing at the moment," the defending World Cup slalom champion said. "I have been lacking of coolness and consistency recently."
Vonn went out at Flachau when she straddled a gate and lost a ski in the opening run. The American, still hampered by a bruised left lower arm, crashed again in a slalom training run in Austria two days later but wasn’t hurt.
"Training went pretty well today except for another hard crash in slalom," Vonn wrote on her Facebook page Thursday. "I’m OK but I’ll definitely be sore tomorrow! I’d be great if I could stop crashing in the technical events."
The Golden Fox races in Maribor consist of a giant slalom on Saturday and a slalom on Sunday, the last prior to next month’s Vancouver Olympics.
With just two slaloms left on the World Cup schedule, Riesch leads the discipline standings with 373 points. Marlies Schild of Austria is 53 points behind in second and Sandrine Aubert is another four points back in third.
Schild has won two events — in Lienz and Flachau — after missing the entire previous season with a broken leg.
"Great if I could get that globe," said Schild, referring to the crystal award for the season’s best slalom racer. "But it’s not my main goal this season. I want to take a good feeling for the Olympics from Maribor with me."
Schild won bronze in slalom at the 2006 Turin Olympics and is looking for an even better result in Vancouver.
The battle for the World Cup GS championship is wide open as well ahead of Saturday’s race. After five of eight events, German world champion Kathrin Hoelzl leads the standings with 281 points. Kathrin Zettel of Austria is second with 265, followed by Tina Maze of Slovenia, who won here last year, with 202.
-- Eric Willemsen
Bernotas ends U.S. drought with skeleton gold
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland — Eric Bernotas became the first American in nearly two years to win a World Cup skeleton race on Friday when the event was shortened to one run by race officials because of conditions at the start of the track.
Bernotas, of Avondale, Pa., won in 1 minute, 9.15 seconds, beating Kristan Bromley of Britain by 0.07 seconds. World Cup leader Martins Dukurs of Latvia was third.
"I’ve been sliding well over the last few weeks but I haven’t been able to put it together on race day," Bernotas said. "I knew it was going to happen."
In the women’s event, Shelley Rudman of Britain finished two runs in 2:20.42. Mellisa Hollingsworth of Canada was second in 2:20.46 and Kerstin Szymkowiak of Germany was third.
Katie Uhlaender of Breckenridge, Colo., was the top U.S. woman in sixth, two spots ahead of Noelle Pikus-Pace of Eagle Mountain, Utah.
Before Bernotas’ breakthrough, the top U.S. skeleton showing this season had been fifth.
"We’ve been working well together as a team, and the coaching staff has been incredible," Bernotas said. "Our team has been sliding the way we’ve needed to, even though the results haven’t shown it."
Although nothing will be made official by the International Federation of Bobsledding and Tobogganing until Saturday or Sunday, the U.S. men have all but clinched three skeleton starting spots for the Vancouver Olympics. Bernotas and Zach Lund will likely be joined by John Daly of Smithtown, N.Y., who won Intercontinental Cup races in Calgary on Thursday and Friday.
Daly’s wins not only put him ahead of U.S. teammate Matt Antoine, who still could be considered for the third Olympic spot, but also kept the Americans third in the world rankings.
The U.S. women will have two skeleton sleds in Vancouver, with Uhlaender and Pikus-Pace set to be the nominees for those spots. The USBSF plans to announce the full roster of Olympic qualifiers by Wednesday.
"It’s definitely coming along," said Uhlaender, who is recovering from several offseason surgeries to repair a shattered kneecap. "I’ve been working nonstop to get to where I was, and I know it’ll be there for the games. ... I still have a few weeks left to get even faster."
Sweden wins women’s biathlon relay
RUHPOLDING, Germany — The Swedish women’s team has won the final biathlon World Cup relay race before the Olympics by edging Russia and Norway.
Overall World Cup leader Helena Jonsson anchored Sweden’s foursome to a time of 1 hour, 17 minutes, 31.4 seconds in the 4x6-kilometer race.
Russia was 16.7 seconds behind and Norway trailed by 29.1 seconds.
Germany failed to make the podium when Magdalena Neuner missed two targets in the second leg. The home team finished fourth, 32.3 seconds off the pace.
Baumgartner in running for U.S. Olympic SBX spot
VEYSONNAZ, Switzerland — Nick Baumgartner has put himself in the running to make the U.S. Olympic team with a third-place finish in a World Cup snowboardcross event.
Baumgartner finished third behind Pierre Vaultier of France and David Speiser of Germany on Friday. Helene Olafsen of Norway defeated Canadians Dominique Maltais and Maelle Ricker in the women’s final.
Baumgartner joined Graham Watanabe and 2002 Olympic halfpipe champion Ross Powers as the third American with a third-place finish this season.
Defending Olympic champion Seth Wescott has a second-place finish and Nate Holland has mathmatically sealed his spot thanks to a win last week.
Lindsey Jacobellis, already assured a spot on the team thanks to a win last week, finished eighth after a wreck in the semifinal.
Figure Skating
Denney and Barrett rise high above other U.S. pairs
SPOKANE, Wash. — Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett had plenty of fire. The rest of the top American pairs? Utter flameouts.
Last year’s surprise silver medalists attacked their short program with confidence and attitude Friday, something the rest of the field might want to try. Two-time defending champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker were disastrous, making two major errors and a couple of smaller bobbles and tumbling all the way to seventh place heading into Saturday’s free skate. 2006 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin weren’t much better.
Safe to say the Chinese and Germans won’t be losing sleep over this stumblefest.
Denney and Barrett have 63.01 points, about a point in front of Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin, whose best finish at nationals was sixth two years ago. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, fourth last year, are third heading into Saturday’s free skate. Inoue and Baldwin are fourth, while McLaughlin and Brubaker are a whopping 10-plus points behind Denney and Barrett.
Who says skating results are predictable?
"I’m not going to lie, I’m upset," said McLaughlin, who fell on their side-by-side triple salchows and fell on their death spiral. "I’ve got a fire lit inside of me. I’m going to go out and be aggressive, and I’m not going out without a fight."
She’d better if she and Brubaker want to make it to Vancouver next month. The United States can send only two pairs to the Olympics, though selection is based on several events, not just results at nationals.
"I was disappointed," coach John Nicks said. "It did not go as well as hoped; it did not go as well as planned."
Denney and Barrett, meanwhile, have the look of a team on a mission — right down to those flame-red extensions in her hair.
The duo pulled off a major upset last season, winning the silver medal after all of six months together. That’s a stunning ascent in a sport where it usually takes years to develop the seamless unison and chemistry of a champion pair, and they continued to soar Friday.
"We felt pretty comfortable out there. And surprisingly very calm," Barrett said. "So we’re looking forward to tomorrow."
They look as if they’ve been together for a decade, landing their side-by-side triple toe loop jumps in perfect sync and right on the beat of the music. They were a little out-of-unison at the beginning of their side-by-side spins, yet looked like mirror images after only two revolutions.
But what really sets Denney and Barrett apart is their power, strength and go-for-broke attitude. There are plenty of skaters who would back off and play it safe in an Olympic year. Not these two. They’re still doing a throw triple flip, a jump few couples try because it’s so hard to get the hang time that makes it look cool.
And Denney must be part cat. She was crooked in the air of the flip, yet landed it with textbook ease.
"Caydee doesn’t really miss too many throws, even if she’s in a lean," Barrett said. "She’s just so used to landing them."
The tough tricks don’t slow them down, either. They flew around the rink like that mythical Firebird, the music they skated to.
"I love doing pairs so much, I want to show everyone what we can do," Denney said. "It’s fun."
Yankowskas and Coughlin had a ball, too. They landed all of their elements, their only noticeable error an out-of-sync side-by-side combination spin. Evora stepped out of their side-by-side triple toe loops and had to take a step forward when she couldn’t hold the landing on the throw triple loop.
Asked how the two relatively unknown couples will fare against the veterans behind them, Ladwig answered for him and Evora and Yankowskas and Coughlin.
"We are veterans," Ladwig said.
Indeed, they were able to handle the pressure, unlike McLaughlin-Brubaker and Inoue-Baldwin.
McLaughlin and Brubaker started strong, doing a gorgeous split triple twist that sent her soaring high above the ice. But that was their lone highlight. In addition to her falls, he had a slight misstep on their footwork, and they were going in completely different directions as they came out of their side-by-side spins.
"We’ve been practicing really well all week. But after the mistake on the salchows, we got a little tentative," Brubaker said. "You can’t skate afraid."
Inoue and Baldwin broke out their throw triple axel for the first time in two seasons, but Inoue slipped off her edge as she landed, sending her tumbling to the ice. And Baldwin found a new way to mess up in his 24th appearance at the national championships — counting his singles career, he’s been coming since 1986 — stepping out of their side-by-side combination spin.
-- Nancy Armour
Nothing funny about Bradley’s goals for nationals
SPOKANE, Wash. — Some figure skaters are jumpers. Some are artists. Ryan Bradley is a showman.
Bradley can entertain crowds like few others, doing playful programs that often have fans laughing out loud. There is a very serious skater beneath all that humor, though, and he’d like nothing more than to show off both at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
"I’m really going for broke this year," he said. "Without great risk, there’s no great reward."
Three spots on the Vancouver Olympic team are on the line when the men’s competition begins Friday night with the short program. The final is Sunday.
Bradley’s name isn’t the first mentioned when talk turns to the top U.S. men. His only top-three finish at nationals was in 2007 — the last time they were in Spokane. More on that later — and he was 15th in his only trip to the world championships.
He doesn’t have Evan Lysacek’s speed and passion, or Johnny Weir’s lyrical style, or Jeremy Abbott’s gorgeous interpretation. But he can do the tough tricks, and he can put them in a package that will leave fans — and judges — feeling they more than got their money’s worth.
"It’s just about trying to figure out that line (between artistry and athleticism) and see where you line up with it, and then just making yourself the best version of you that you can," Bradley said.
For him, it means doing the quad. Three of them, actually. He has one in his short program and two in his free skate, one of the few American men to commit so heavily to the four-revolution jump.
"I wanted something this season to kind of set me apart from some of the other boys that have a jump up on me in the components," he added, referring to what used to be the artistic mark.
Though the quad has become something of an endangered species the last two seasons because of the way it’s valued, it remains a game-changer. Do it and do it well, and there’s a big payoff. Try it and fail, and it’s going to cost you — big.
Mastering the jump itself isn’t even the biggest challenge to doing it. It’s doing it — and still doing everything else in a program.
"Because it is so difficult, it takes more mental energy. When you put a quad in, that becomes the main focus of the program, at least from the technical standpoint," said 2002 Olympic bronze medalist Timothy Goebel, aka "The Quad King." "But it doesn’t do any good if you do a nice quad and triple axel, and then splat on the easy stuff."
To help Bradley and training mate Brandon Mroz adjust, Goebel, who used to do three quads in his free skate, spent three days in Colorado Springs, Colo., earlier this month working with them.
His insights were invaluable, Bradley said.
"We just worked on some basics, a little bit of the mental side about trying to wrap your brain around trying to do more than one quad," he said. "It’s something I feel very comfortable and confident with. But you get really excited and it takes a lot of energy out of you, and you’ve got six other jump boxes to fill right after that."
Plus footwork and spins and everything else. With so much to do, there would seem to be little time to play to the crowd. For Bradley, though, that part comes naturally.
His free skate is to Baroque chamber music, big, powerful music that doesn’t exactly scream "fun." Yet Bradley pulls it off, using whimsical gestures, eye contact and body language to transform the program into something that would bring the house down in any ice show.
When he ran through his program at Thursday’s practice, loud laughter filled the arena. One man in particular could be heard chuckling repeatedly, and Bradley grinned when he heard him.
"It’s something in the way I operate," he said. "When I feel really stressed or feel really nervous or tense, I try to make the crowd laugh just to calm the whole situation down so I feel more comfortable with everything. ... I’m not really adding anything to be nervous about with the humor because that’s something that will help me stay calm so I can do these things properly.
"Let’s be real," he added. "If I don’t hit the jumps, whether it’s funny or not, it’s going to fall flat."
That sure didn’t happen when nationals were here in 2007. Bradley’s enchanting free skate put him ahead of three-time champion Johnny Weir and gave him the silver medal, and he endeared himself to fans by celebrating with a backflip.
The performance is the highlight of his career — so far.
"Coming off a great competition the last time I was there definitely gives me more confidence. I can’t help but be a little superstitious," he said. "(But) I don’t want to go back and duplicate what I did. I want to create a new memory for myself. I feel I’m a much better skater than I was the last time we were in Spokane, and I’m ready to show the world and the country that."
-- Nancy Armour
Morozov says Asians naturally suited to skating
TOKYO — Russian coach Nikolai Morozov says the recent dominance of Asian skaters in women’s figure skating is due to bodies that are suited to the sport and disciplined training.
Morozov helped Shizuka Arakawa win the gold medal at the 2006 Turin Games for Japan’s first Olympic figure skating victory and has resurrected the career of Miki Ando, one of three women who will represent Japan at the Vancouver Olympics.
South Korean Kim Yu-na is the gold medal favorite for Vancouver but will be challenged by rival Mao Asada and Ando. An Asian sweep of the podium is not out of the question.
"Asian skaters have a very good body structure for skating," Morozov said Friday. "They have a lower center of gravity so it’s much easier for them to jump.
"They also have very good discipline, when you tell them what to do they just listen and do it."
Morozov, 34, was in Tokyo on Friday to promote his new book "Kiss and Cry," a Japanese-language account of his coaching career.
When Ando finished a disappointing 15th in Turin, many felt it might be the end of her competitive career, even though she was only 18. But in stepped Morozov, and one year later Ando was the world champion in Tokyo.
Under Morozov’s guidance, the 22-year-old Ando has flourished this season, winning two Grand Prix events and earning a silver medal at the Grand Prix final in Tokyo last month.
Ando is the only woman to complete a quadruple jump in competition, hitting one at the 2002 junior Grand Prix final. While there has been speculation she will attempt one in Vancouver, Morozov said it’s unlikely.
"She is capable of doing it anytime," Morozov said. "I’ve seen her do four in practice but she isn’t 15 anymore and has so much else to work on in her routine."
Morozov also coaches Nobunari Oda, one of three Japanese men who will compete in Vancouver, and American-Japanese ice dancers Cathy and Chris Reed, who will also represent Japan at the Olympics.
Japanese fans are desperate for another figure skating gold following Arakawa’s win in Turin. Figure skating is one of the few sports where Japan is expected to medal in Vancouver.
"Everyone wants a gold but it won’t be easy," Morozov said. "Japan got spoiled with Arakawa and wants it to happen again."
Morozov competed in the ice dancing event at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. After his retirement from competitive skating, he became a coaching assistant to Tatiana Tarasova, who now coaches Asada.
-- Jim Armstrong
Rochette trails Phaneuf after short program
LONDON, Ontario — Defending champion Joannie Rochette trails Cynthia Phaneuf after the short program at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Phaneuf scored 66.30 points to win the short program ahead of Rochette on Friday. The world silver medalist received 64.15 points after falling at the end of her program. Amelie Lacoste was third with 53.99 points.
Rochette also trailed Phaneuf at last year’s Canadian championships before bouncing back in the long program to win her fifth straight title. Rochette has already clinched one of the two women’s singles spots on Canada’s Olympic team.
Later on Friday, Annabelle Langlois and Cody Hay won the pairs short program with a score of 65.47 points.
Olympics
Canada to give IOC names of athletes bringing PEDs
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canada’s Border Services Agency has agreed to give the International Olympic Committee the names of athletes entering the country with performance-enhancing drugs during next month’s Winter Games.
But the agreement appears to fall short of the IOC’s hope that Canada would stop the drugs from getting into the country.
The IOC had been talking to Ottawa for two years hoping for help to enforce the Olympic body’s anti-doping policies. But most performance-enhancing substances aren’t illegal in Canada and the country’s privacy laws restrict what authorities can tell Olympic officials.
Under the agreement, which runs from Jan. 25 to March 25, the information will be shared only if the athletes or their support people have signed a waiver administered by the IOC.
IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said the waiver is mandatory for participating in the games.
"The IOC has a zero-tolerance policy against doping and as for previous Olympic Games, will be working closely with the local authorities to ensure that the appropriate measures are taken to catch any potential cheater during the upcoming Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver," Moreau said in an e-mail.
Hannah Mahoney, a spokeswoman for Canada Border Services Agency, said the agreement covers substances prohibited under both the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and the World Anti-Doping Code 2009.
The chairman of the IOC’s medical commission, Dr. Arne Ljungqvist of Sweden, said last month that negotiating an agreement was difficult because Canada does not have anti-doping legislation.
That’s something the IOC will require from future host countries as a prerequisite for staging the games.
The World Anti-Doping Agency’s latest list of banned substances runs to nine pages, from well-known anabolic steroids to blood-doping compounds that improve an athlete’s oxygen capacity.
But many are legal in Canada and presumably can come into the country with the right paperwork.
It’s also unclear what the police role will be if performance-enhancing substances are reported at, say, the main athletes’ village in Vancouver.
Track & Field
Hall, Kastor lead Arizona marathon field
PHOENIX — For its first six years in existence, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and Half-Marathon failed to attract any Americans with worldwide recognition. For Sunday’s races, it has attracted two of the best — Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor.
Hall and Kastor are the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champions. They also are the men’s and women’s American record-holders in the half-marathon.
Not since 2006, when Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie smashed the world record in the half-marathon, has the event had such talent.
"Since Haile, we haven’t had a marquee athlete," Matt Turnbull of Elite Racing said. "Our goals are to get the best in America to run for us, and they fall in that category."
Hall established the U.S. record in the half-marathon of 59 minutes, 43 seconds, at Houston on Jan. 14, 2007, making him the first American to break the one-hour barrier. He was influenced by Gebrselassie’s performance in deciding to run in Arizona.
"It’s got some fast times with Haile," he said. "It’s got some history."
Although he set the record three years ago at this time of year, the 27-year-old Hall isn’t expecting to smash it again.
"I don’t know what to expect," Hall said. "I’m not setting my expectations that high this time of year. This is the start of my preparation for the Boston Marathon in April. But I’m excited to come to Phoenix."
Hall has run the longer distance six times, starting in 2007 when he placed seventh in the London Marathon in 2:08:24, the fastest debut marathon by an American. He placed 10th in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Kastor, 36, was the marathon bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, but dropped out of the Beijing marathon after about three miles with a broken foot.
It was her second major disappointment at the Olympics. In 2000, running in the 10,000 meters, she finished 18th while competing with an injury. She also had misfortune at last year’s Chicago Marathon, placing sixth while running with stomach problems.
Other than those three races, she has been outstanding.
Like Hall, she doesn’t expect to break her record Sunday.
"I don’t think the course is fast enough to warrant breaking the American record," she said. "They’ve changed the course since Haile ran it."
More than 30,000 runners are expected to compete in the marathon and half-marathon.
Houston event ousts group critical of race sponsor
HOUSTON — A group of human rights advocates with a booth critical of the Chevron Houston Marathon’s title sponsor was expelled from the marathon expo Friday for painting the company "in a negative light."
Steven Karpas, the managing director of the Houston Marathon Committee, said runners from Rainforest Action Network were setting up a booth with "very anti-Chevron placards and pamphlets that absolutely painted Chevron in a negative light," so he had them booted from the expo.
Brianna Cayo Cotter, one of the runners with Rainforest Action Network, said the group had no plans to disrupt event. They had pamphlets on contamination they allege Chevron caused in Ecuador and stickers that read, "I’m running for human rights. Ask Chevron why."
The 30,000 runners registered to participate in the 5K, half-marathon and marathon Sunday were expected to attend the two-day expo to pick up race numbers, gear and expo giveaways.
Before the first runners arrived Friday morning, Cotter said the group was escorted by police out of the city-owned convention center with a promise from Karpas that their expo fee would be refunded.
Karpas said he made the decision to kick out the group, and that no request came from Chevron Corp. officials. He said the event would refund the $1,300 booth fee.
"We’re not a political event, and we certainly don’t appreciate them using our expo to promote their politics," said Karpas. "It’s our expo, and we have the right to control access to the expo. We just didn’t find their message to be appropriate given the title sponsor."
SAfrica Olympic committee: Semenya can’t run yet
JOHANNESBURG — The South African Olympic Committee says 800-meter world champion Caster Semenya cannot compete at home or abroad until the IAAF rules on her gender tests.
The committee released a statement Friday following a week of conflicting reports about Semenya’s possible return to the track.
South African Olympic committee president Gideon Sam says that "Caster Semenya is not eligible to run in any sanctioned meeting or race. The matter over the results of her gender test are still sitting with the international parent organization, the IAAF."
Semenya won the women’s 800 at the world championships in Berlin in August. The International Association of Athletics Federations said hours before the race that it ordered gender tests.
Cycling
Cyclist Rasmussen signs with Miche
COPENHAGEN — Danish cyclist Michael Rasmussen is gearing up for a comeback after signing a one-year contract with small Italian team Miche Silver Cross.
Rasmussen led the 2007 Tour de France when he was kicked off his Rabobank team for lying about his whereabouts when he missed pre-race doping tests. He was eventually given a two-year ban for avoiding drug tests, and hasn’t competed since.
Danish newspaper Politiken reported Friday that Rasmussen signed a contract with Miche this month and will make his debut next week in Argentina’s Tour de San Luis.
Rasmussen told the newspaper that he had hoped for a comeback at "a higher level," but that "there is so much hypocrisy in cycling, so it was not possible."
