Bloom, Kearney lock up Olympic berths at freestyle trials in Steamboat

FREESTYLE MOGULS, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado, December 30, 2005. — Jeremy Bloom ended what little suspense was left about his Olympic plans Friday, securing his trip to Torino with the best run of the day at freestyle skiing Olympic trials.

Jeremy Bloom, of Loveland, Colo., skis the bumps on the way to winning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team during the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Moguls team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

"Now, I don't have to say 'if' anymore," Bloom said after scoring 27.82 points in the moguls finals to beat out Travis Mayer for first place, the only spot that mattered at this event. Bloom qualified 10th but won over 2002 Olympic silver medalist Mayer, with Toby Dawson in third place.

Hannah Kearney, all but assured a spot thanks to a win in the World Cup earlier this season, won on the women's side to erase any doubt. Kearney finished ahead of Jillian Vogtli, with Shelly Robertson, who led qualifying, in third place.

Hannah Kearney, 19, of Norwich, Vermont, skis the bumps on her way to winning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team during the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Moguls team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

First-place finishers in moguls and aerials, which were scheduled for later Friday, earned automatic spots on the 14-person freestyle team.

Hannah Kearney, 19, of Norwich, Vt., does a trick off of a jump on her way to winning an spot on the U.S. Olympic team during the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Moguls team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

There are many other ways these skiers can make the Olympics. Still, Bloom conceded it was something of a relief to get this done.

"Things came together today, which is a great feeling," Bloom said. "It's nice to check that box."

Now, Bloom knows what's in store for February: freestyle skiing on the 15th, followed by a quick trip back to the United States and a shot at the NFL scouting combine. The speedy wide receiver was on his way to stardom at Colorado before NCAA rules forbidding him to take sponsorship money forced him to choose between college football and skiing.

Jeremy Bloom, of Loveland, Colo., does a trick off of a jump on his way to winning an spot on the U.S. Olympic team during the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Moguls team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

He chose skiing, and at this point it's looking like the right choice. Bloom set a record last year by winning six consecutive times on the World Cup circuit, a seemingly impossible feat considering the pratfalls that stand in front of skiers in one of the most fickle sports around.

He will be considered a favorite at the Olympics, even though he finished ninth when he competed in 2002.

"He's become a lot better skier over the last four years," U.S. coach Jeff Wintersteen said.

Under an overcast sky, Bloom qualified 10th but laid down a nearly flawless second run that the rest of the field couldn’t match, clicking with 720-heli-X (two rotations with his skis tucked up under him in an X) off the top jump and an off-axis 720 off the bottom jump. He finished with 27.82 points to 27.57 for Mayer, the local favorite who won this event four years ago when it was called the U.S. Ski Team Gold Cup and went on to be silver medalist in moguls at the 2002 Olympics. Third place in the winner-take-all (i.e., the winner gets $5,000 and an automatic Olympic Team spot) contest went to Dawson at 26.84.

Travis Mayer, of Steamboat, Colo., flips through the air as he does one of his tricks during the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Moguls team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday, Dec. 30, 2005. Mayer finished second in the event. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

Earlier, Kearney was eighth in the qualifying round, but she gave herself a talking-to in between rounds and came back with a storming run that nipped 2002 Olympian Vogtli. She clicked with a heli-X (one rotation, skis up-under in an X) and a backflip off the bottom jump for 26.66 with Vogtli second at 26.40 while third place went to Robertson with 26.37.

“I did not step up this morning, qualifying third to last or fourth to last,” Kearney said. “It was a nerve-wracking experience watching everyone come down.”

After the internal pep talk, she said, Kearney — who was performing in front of her first coaches, Suzy and Nick Preston from the Waterville Valley program, took a deep breath and rolled into the second run. "The key [in the final run] was I was relaxed,” she said. “I was pushing myself too hard, from training hard and then into the first run. I just relaxed.

“When I finished my run I thought maybe I relaxed too much. But it was really solid ... so then I had to wait.” No one could match it and the 19-year-old, who won the season-opening moguls event Dec. 14 in Tignes, France, clinched the spot. And the $5,000.

Coach Scott Rawles said, “Technically, we only have two winners but, really, we have a lot of winners today. For the younger athletes who’ve never been in a World Cup, or haven’t been to worlds or the Olympics, they had the experience of competing at that level ... and that’s valuable."

The aerials part of the one-day wild-card event were to be held at night at Howelsen Hill.

NBC will televise coverage Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET and OLN will have coverage Sunday at 5 p.m. ET as part of its weekly "10 Weeks to Torino" series of major event coverage as a lead up to the February Olympics in Italy.

The Associated Press/USSA
skiracing.com

U.S. Ski Team freestyle Olympic Trials

Men’s moguls
1. Jeremy Bloom, Loveland, Colo., 27.82 points
2. Travis Mayer, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 27.57
3. Toby Dawson, Vail, Colo., 26.84
4. Nate Roberts, Park City, Utah, 26.01
5. Tim Preston, Campton, N.H., 25.81

Women’s moguls
1. Hannah Kearney, Norwich, Vt., 26.66
2. Jillian Vogtli, Ellicotville, N.Y., 26.40
3. Shelly Robertson, Reno, Nev., 26.37
4. Shannon Bahrke, Tahoe City, Calif., 26.31
5. Michelle Roark, Denver, 26.21
— The Associated Press/USSA

Cook, St. Onge punch Torino tickets with aerials wins at freestyle trials

FREESTYLE AERIALS, STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado, December 30, 2005. - Aerialist Emily Cook, who gave up her Olympic spot four years ago after an injury in training, earned her second ticket to the Olympics Friday night and local favorite Ryan St. Onge clinched his own spot as each won the aerials competition at the U.S. Ski Team Olympic Trials for freestyle skiing.

Ryan St. Onge, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., flys through the air on his way to winning the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Aerials team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday night, Dec. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

NBC will televise coverage from the one-day Olympic trials -- moguls in the afternoon, aerials at night -- Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET, while OLN will broadcast its report Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.

Competing under the lights at Howelsen Hill, Cook -- the Gold Cup winner before the 2002 Olympics -- won the renamed winner-take-all Olympic trials as she connected with a double-twisting, double-flip full-full and a single-twisting, single-flip lay-full. She had 169.59 points, with runner-up Kate Reed at 154.39 and then an eight-point drop to Lacy Schnoor in third place with 146.74.

“Oh my God -- this is so exciting. I can hardly believe it,” Cook said while alternating comments with embraces from friends after a lengthy hug with her father, who raised her after her mother died when Cook was 2. “This gives me new faith to move on.”

Cook -- whose victory and automatic Olympic berth is another chapter in her compelling story -- said she focused on her jumps, not worrying about what the competition was going to do. The one-day Olympic trials were open only to U.S. Ski Team athletes; seven women aerialists competed and 10 men -- and both Cook and St. Onge led the qualifying round before taking charge in the final round.

“These were two of my best jumps all year,” Cook said. “It was so exciting and now my next step is to get ready for all my opportunities to improve my training.”

St. Onge, who won his first two World Cup events a year ago and then captured the second meet of the current season, blew away the men’s field at Howelsen. He hit a pair of quad-twisting, triple somersault jumps (full, double-full, full and double-full, full, full) for 240.93 points. Defending World Cup champ Jeret “Speedy” Peterson was second as he tried the same two jumps but had trouble on his landings and finished with 197.56. Olympic silver medalist Joe Pack was third (195.96).

“Conditions were sketchy earlier in the week, so I wasn’t sure what I’d be able to do,” St. Onge said, “but I definitely didn’t back it down despite the conditions. I tried to do as much as I could.

“We had extended training tonight and the weather was great, so I was able to get more DD [degree of difficulty for bigger jump attempts], and, obviously, this is great. I’ve got 40 family and friends here that I know of, so it’s a great night for me. I’m so glad I’ve officially got a place on the Olympic team.”

Jana Lindsey fell on her second jump. She was taken to Yampa Valley Medical Center. According to U.S. Ski Team Medical Director Melinda Roalstad, Lindsey suffered a concussion and was to be kept overnight for observation.

Earlier in the day, defending World Cup champion Jeremy Bloom and Hannah Kearney, the women’s world champion, earned automatic places on the 2006 Olympic ream as they won the moguls contest at the Park Smalley Competition Arena on Steamboat’s main mountain, Mount Werner.

Ryan St. Onge, right, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., and Emily Cook, of Park City, Utah, celebrate on the podium after winning the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Aerials team trials in Steamboat, Colo., on Friday night, Dec. 30, 2005. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

The next World Cup event is Jan. 7-8 at Mont Gabriel, Quebec, followed by two more competitions in the U.S. Ski Team’s 10 Weeks to Torino series of major pre-Olympic events -- the Chevrolet Freestyle International at Deer Valley, Utah, Jan. 13-14 and the Nature Valley Freestyle Cup Jan. 20-22 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

Courtesy USSA News Bureau
skiracing.com

U.S. Ski Team freestyle Olympic trials
Howelsen Hill
Steamboat Springs, Colo. - Dec. 30, 2005

Men’s aerials
1. Ryan St. Onge, Steamboat Springs, Colo., 240.93 points
2. Jeret Peterson, Boise, Idaho, 197.56
3. Joe Pack, Park City, Utah, 195.96
4. Eric Bergoust, Missoula, Mont., 1:85.29
5. Austin Cummings, Heber City, Utah, 163.85

Women’s aerials
1. Emily Cook, Belmont, Mass., 169.59
2. Kate Reed, Montrose, Colo., 154.39
3. Lacy Schnoor, Draper, Utah, 146.74
4. Jill Priest, Park City, Utah, 136.88
5. Jaime Myers, Boise, Idaho, 132.42