There’s plenty of gold (and silver and bronze) to be had in the hills of Utah at the Winter Olympic Games, and Team USA is seeking to capture a record number of medals. Who could grab the gold? Be on the lookout for these U.S. athletes:
Spinning for success
America’s best skater is going for the gold in Salt Lake City–and is doing it on her own terms. Michelle Kwan, 21, fired her longtime coach, Frank Carroll, in October, and critics questioned whether the skater could get ready for the Olympics without a coach. But the winner of four world titles and an Olympic silver medal proved she could go it alone when she won her sixth national title last month in Los Angeles. At the Olympics, Kwan faces her toughest competition in Russian Irina Slutskaya, 22, a powerful jumper and three-time world’s silver medalist, and also could be challenged by teammates Sarah Hughes, 16, and Sasha Cohen, 17. To clinch the gold, judges will want to see Kwan combine her elegant artistic style with athleticism; she’ll be under pressure to land the difficult triple-triple jump combinations in competition.
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When to watch (all times are Central; coverage is on NBC-Ch. 5 unless otherwise noted): 7 p.m. Feb. 19, women’s short program; 7 p.m. Feb. 21, long program
Ready to fly
Apolo Ohno’s first name means “to lead” in Greek, and it’s a name that the speed skater hopes to live up to in Salt Lake City. If all goes as he plans, Ohno, 19, could sweep all four gold medals in short track and emerge as one of the biggest American stars at this year’s Games. Ohno has the track record to pull it off. Last season, he finished No. 1 in all three individual events on the World Cup circuit (500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters) and won eight of nine races in the Olympic trials in December. He also says he has determination–something he admits that he lacked four years ago, when he failed to make the Olympic team as expected. “I was too young and immature,” he recently told SI Kids. “I hadn’t trained hard enough. What happened in 1998 makes me hungrier to do well in 2002.”
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When to watch: 7 p.m. Feb. 16, 1,000-meter final; 7 p.m. Feb. 20, 1,500-meter finals; and 7 p.m. Feb. 23, 500-meter and 5,000-meter relay finals
On a hot streak
Faster. Stronger. Better than ever. That sums up how the U.S. women’s ice hockey team is playing these days. Team USA wrapped up its pre-Olympic tour last week with a 31-0 record, including a come-from-behind win over archrival Canada on Jan. 8. But watch out: Canada may be looking for a grudge match. In 1998, Team USA beat its northern neighbor in the first gold-medal game in women’s Olympic hockey. To defend the gold, the U.S. will have to get past Canada, which has racked up three world championships since 1998. Still, Team USA’s mix of veterans from the Nagano Games and young newcomers, who add depth to the roster, could be an unstoppable combination.
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When to watch: 2 p.m. Feb. 12 , U.S. vs. Germany on MSNBC; 7 p.m. Feb. 21 on NBC, gold-medal game. Check TV listings for other game times
Air apparent
Eric Bergoust, 32, flipped for the sport of aerial skiing when he first saw it on TV at age 15. Always a daredevil, Bergoust decided to chase his dream when he was 18. He saved enough money to buy a $500 car and a tent and drove 2,000 miles from his hometown of Missoula, Mont., to train at Lake Placid, N.Y. He worked like a madman, sometimes doing 100 jumps a day. Before long, his hard work paid off. Bergoust won a gold medal in Nagano in 1998 and, this season, clinched his second consecutive World Cup title. At Salt Lake City, Bergoust is looking to win gold again. If he does, he’ll be the first repeat gold-medal winner in men’s aerials.
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When to watch: 7 p.m. Feb. 19, men’s finals
High hopes
Ski sensation Bode Miller has said he’s not the type of guy to hold anything back when he’s attacking a run in competition. And lately, his all-out approach has paid off–big time. Miller, 24, has won four World Cup events this season, making him a leading favorite for a gold medal for the slalom at the Olympic Games. (He’ll also ski the giant slalom and the combined.) Miller’s wins are especially sweet since he fought back from a knee injury he got while competing in the 2001 World Alpine Championships in St. Anton, Austria. Expect a sizzling performance from Bode at Salt Lake; he’ll need it to get past a strong Austrian team. “At the Olympics, if you want to win, you have to be willing to risk it all. It’s a day to go out and give it everything you got,” Miller recently told NBC.
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When to watch: 7 p.m. Feb. 13, combined competition (downhill and slalom); 7 p.m. Feb. 21, giant slalom; 7 p.m. Feb. 23, slalom
Also, watch for:
Opening Ceremony:
7 p.m. Friday
Closing Ceremony:
7 p.m. Feb. 24
Check NBCOlympics.com for other event schedules and possible schedule changes.
Keeping Olympics safe and secure costs millions
The Winter Olympic Games in Utah encompass a lot of territory–about 900 square miles–and keeping every inch safe for athletes and spectators has been a top priority for organizers, especially since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge told reporters last month that special security units are ready to deal with biological or chemical weapons attacks. Plus, a no-fly zone will restrict plane traffic in the Salt Lake City area during the Games.
At the Olympic Village, where athletes will stay, a fence has gone up around the 70-acre site, and the grounds will be monitored by cameras, alarms and security checkpoints. In all, $400 million has been spent on security.
Still, many teams admit they’re taking extra precautions. For example, Norway has hired its own security director to travel with athletes. Canada has arranged for extra doses of the drug Cipro, in case of an anthrax attack. And Australian athletes have been told they won’t be allowed to open mail while in Salt Lake City.
The Japanese team had even announced it was bringing gas masks–but decided to leave them at home after negative publicity.
Olympics by the numbers
Number of cash registers at the Olympic Village McDonald’s
(all food in the Olympic Village is free to athletes)
Number of athletes (approximately) 2600
Number of countries participating 77
Number of sports 15
Estimated top speed of bobsleds 90 m.p.h.
Price of a ticket to the Opening Ceremony $885
Number of security personnel (including police and military troops) 15,000
Number of medal events (the largest in Winter Olympic history and 10 more events than the 1998 Nagano Games) 78
Estimated top speed of ski jumpers in air 55 m.p.h.
Number of countries to televise the Games (in 50 languages) 160
Number of new sports (the skeleton) 1
Source: Salt Lake Organizing Committee
