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Bergoust pushing his teammates 'to go for broke'
By Amy Donaldson
Deseret News Olympic specialist
PARK CITY — No one has ever accused defending gold medalist Eric Bergoust of underachieving.
The man who spends almost as much time studying the physics of aerials as he does practicing his tricks is constantly pushing both his own goals and the expectations of his freestyle teammates. To the 32-year-old Montana native, everything and anything is possible.
He's been making decisions based on that assumption all his life, and it's gotten him to the top of his sport where he's become an innovator, a mentor and a icon.
While everyone else was breathing sighs of relief that they'd made it past a fiercely competitive qualification round Saturday at Deer Valley, the intense and stoic Bergoust was again pushing.
"It's awesome that we have all the guys in (the finals)," he said matter-of-factly of his American teammates. "Now we have to go for broke. We could sweep the podium. . . . We have to start thinking like that."
That's the kind of thinking that gets gold medals. But Bergoust isn't the only one visualizing himself on top of the medals podium Tuesday. The reigning world champion, Alexei Grichin, Belarus, sees himself taking home the top honor.
"I'm just going to work hard to get my medal," he said when asked about his game plan for Tuesday. He won't decide until then exactly what jumps he'll use as he may do more difficult tricks if Ales Valenta, Czech Republic, breaks out the triple back flip with five twists.
"I feel good," Grichin said. "But I'll be more happy when I win my gold medal."
Valenta said he'll wait and see if the weather will allow him to do five twists, something never done in Olympic competition. In fact, he's the only one to land it on snow. And he's only done that four times.
"I did it yesterday," he said. "But I don't want to say I'm going to go for it. We'll see Tuesday."
Valenta was brilliant considering he's been out with a broken collarbone until three days before the qualifying event. He was injured Jan. 30 and had surgery to install a titanium plate Jan. 31. He's only been jumping since Thursday.
"I'm nervous about it," he said. "But I will do more difficult jumps in the final."
Most everyone, except Bergoust, who promises to do the same jumps that won him gold in Nagano, said they will do tougher tricks on Tuesday. Joe Pack, Jeret Peterson and Brian Currutt are not medal favorites, but with good jumps they could find themselves on the podium.
Beside Valenta and Grichin, the most formidable challengers in Tuesday's field will be the Canadians. Three seasoned and talented athletes say they hope to upset the favorites.
"I had the worst training of my life (Saturday)," said Candy's Jeff Bean. "I landed on my stomach. It took everything I had (to qualify) . . . But I was able to squeak by with what I had. It doesn't matter where you are as long as you're in, and then you're playing ball. Now comes the pressure and stress, and it affects guys."
And as his teammate Andy Capicik said, "It's six seconds . . . Anything can happen. It's going to be tough."
E-MAIL: adonaldson@desnews.com
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February 18, 2002
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