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2007-08 Season Preview: U.S. Disabled Ski Team Focused on More Podiums
// U.S. Ski Team News Bureau
// October 17, 2007
PARK CITY, Utah - On the heels of a season that garnered the U.S. Disabled Ski Team four World Cup titles, Program Director Sandy Metzger says there's room for more in 2008.
Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah), who led the alpine team with three titles, including the overall, is back on snow and feeling solid after a summer of injury recovery. On the cross-country side, third-year veteran Chris Klebl (Heber City, Utah) is hungry for an upgrade after collecting eight second-place finishes en route to runner-up in the overall World Cup chase last winter.
"We have slimmed both our alpine and disabled rosters this season to focus all our athletes on high performance," said Metzger. "Each group has a dynamic mix of proven winners and young talent with incredible potential. Each athlete has made the personal and team commitment to show up for every race with the preparation and mindset to win."
Paralympic gold medalist Jones returns
Along with Victor and reigning World Cup super G champ Laurie Stephens (Wenham, Mass.), 2008 marks the return of 2006 Paralympic slalom gold medalist Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Jones took a break from competition last winter to focus on her studies at the University of Denver and a successful run at making the World Championships for cycling, where she took bronze.
Ready to step up for the men is young gun Brad Washburn (Littleton, Colo.), who bounded from the C Team to the A Team fueled by multiple World Cup top-10 finishes and his first U.S. championship last season. Fellow U.S. champ Elitsa Storey (Ketchum, Idaho) finished in the World Cup top-10 overall for standup skiers last winter, but made a big commitment to conditioning over the summer. According to coaches, she's poised for "big things" this winter.
Also returning to action is a healthy Monte Meier (Park City, Utah), who's back in action after a year of rehabbing a knee injury. Meier, a four-time Paralympian, will serve as team captain.
"We're counting on everyone to step it up big-time," said Disabled Alpine Head Coach Ray Watkins. "No one is going to sit back and watch the veterans get on the podium. We're relying on everyone to perform every race. This team is not about having participants."
The U.S. has finished runner-up to Austria in the Nations Cup standings the last two seasons, a streak Watkins and Co. say ends in 2008.
Focused sit-skiers for cross country
Following the retirement of team leader Steve Cook (Park City, Utah), the cross-country squad has trimmed to an all sit-skier contingent with five men, led by Klebl, and one woman, Monica Bascio (Evergreen, Colo.). Bascio has made an incredible recovery after taking second half of the '07 season off to prepare for the July birth of her son, Henry. According to Head Coach Jon Kreamelmeyer, the all sit-skier set-up will allow the team to train smarter.
Klebl, who's entirely focused on trading in all eight of his second place finishes from last winter's World Cup for victories, fully embraced his summer training. Following a team camp in Colorado that mixed kayaking and roller skiing, Klebl headed to New Zealand for three weeks of on-snow training at Snow Farm.
"After a summer of solid roller skiing and on-snow training, I am fitter than a year ago and looking forward to an even more successful World Cup season," said Klebl. "I am on track in my preparations for the World Championships in 2009 and the Paralympics in 2010."
Also looking to hit stride in only his first full year on the World Cup circuit is Andy Soule (Sun Valley, Idaho), a military veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan. Soule skied for the first time in 2005 while attending a team recruitment camp and finished fourth in his first World Cup competition last season.
"It's going to be a different look to the team without any standup skiers, but it's also going to help us focus on building team unity," said Kreamelmeyer. "These athletes are going to get a lot of attention and we're looking to turn that focus into results."
Both teams open the competitive season Dec. 3-7 at The Hartford Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge, Colo.
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