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U.S. may have a moguls chance
By Amy Donaldson
Deseret News sports writer
In the world of women's moguls, Norway's Kari Traa has become so dominant, the most commonly asked question of anyone associated with freestyle skiing is, "Can anyone beat Traa?"
Well, this winter someone did.
A 22-year-old American woman named Shannon Bahrke is the only other woman to win a World Cup competition this season. Traa was first in every other World Cup event and even set a world record on Jan. 12 in St. Lary, France, with a score of 27.65. So, maybe Traa had a bad day. Or maybe there are a few skiers whose tricks, speed and skiing have finally caught up to the 28-year-old self-described chocoholic.
In fact, Traa wasn't really much of a force on the World Cup Tour until three years ago, when she finally got her obsession with chocolate under control.
The native of Voss, Norway, on the country's coastline, has been skiing since she was 2 years old. She began with cross country and then moved to alpine when she was 6. It wasn't until she was 15 that she began freestyle skiing.
"It looked fun," she said. "When I was 12, I really wanted to try it, but I didn't until I was 15."
She wonders where her career would be had she started just a little sooner, and she blames her "bad spinning" on the late start. In preparation for the Olympics, she ramped up her training regime, although she was slowed by a bruised knee in June. She didn't jump until October but has had an outstanding season thus far. She's favored by most to win the Gold medal, although Bahrke and her American teammates, who make up three of the top six athletes in World Cup standings, promise to give Traa the most competitive runs they can muster.
In fact, the American women, Bahrke, Jillian Vogtli, Ann Battelle and Hannah Hardaway (who's second in the standings), say they are focusing more on skiing their best rather than beating any one particular skier. And as the women get ready to race today, the United States could win its first medals or feel its first disappointment of the Winter Games.
All the American women have dealt with adversity and say their trials have made them more grateful and more hardworking. Bahrke became ill with a staph infection two years ago and was told she'd never ski competitively again. There was a time when she couldn't even walk.
"You go through life, especially as an athlete, and take a lot for granted," she said. When faced with the possibility of maybe being paralyzed, she said, she began to pay a lot more attention to everything in life. "I really appreciate now what my body does for me."
Bahrke went from middle of the pack in the first half of the season to the World Cup's top 10 consistently after deciding that she was skiing too conservatively.
"Everyone else was really ramping up their skiing, and I was skiing just the same as I had the year before," Bahrke said. "So I pushed harder and made some big changes."
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com
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February 9, 2002
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