McPhie punches ticket to Vancouver

PARK CITY — She's sporting ski boots, not ruby red slippers, but for Heather McPhie there really is no place like home.

Just two days after winning her first World Cup, Park City's Heather McPhie secured a spot on the Olympic Freestyle team with a second-place finish in the Visa Freestyle International mogul competition at Deer Valley.

"I was kind of tired coming into today," said McPhie, who took second with a score of 24.93 in Saturday night's mogul event that drew about 8,000 fans. "So I was excited I could dig deep for the finals ... My first podium was such a huge high and then to rest yesterday, I decided not to train. I just wanted to come out here and give it everything I had."

Canada's Jennifer Heil, currently the No. 1 mogul skier in the world, won the event with a score of 25.59. She tied with McPhie in Thursday's event.

"I am having so much fun, the course out here is amazing," Heil said. "It's one of the best events on tour."

Michelle Roark put herself in contention for a spot on the Olympic team with a third-place finish and a score of 24.91.

"The podium is something I definitely needed," said the 13-year veteran. "I needed it really badly."

Roark said she went to retired freestyle skiers to help improve her own skills in the off-season.

"I just have to say thanks to Toby Dawson, all my U.S. team coaches, my wonderful husband, who hasn't missed a World Cup in seven years and J.C.," Roark said.

"So I went back this summer and I interviewed a bunch of athletes who'd been successful — Johnny Moseley, Toby Dawson, Jeremy Bloom, they all gave me some advice," she said. "I went back and read the rule book and it says a good turn is a nice carved turn, not a slidy turn. I said, 'OK what do I have to do to change my turns?' "

She spent five days skiing with Dawson, who is pursuing a golf career, and said he's only skied 10 days since the 2006 Olympics.

"I learned more in five days with him in Chile than my entire career in freestyle," she said.

Both the men's and women's finals were intensely competitive with some extraordinary tricks, as well as scorching times.

The U.S. women finished second through fifth, as well as 12th, 13th and 16th.

Head freestyle coach Jeff Wintersteen said emotions have been raw as athletes compete for just four spots for women and four spots for men.