WinterSports2002.com, Wednesday, October 31, 2001

Olympic highlights

OH, BROTHERS: The Heaton brothers — Jennison Heaton and John Heaton — finished 1-2 in the inaugural Olympic skeleton competition at the 1928 St. Moritz Games. Jennison Heaton also piloted a U.S. crew in the five-man bobsled — the only year the four-man event was expanded to five — to a silver medal behind another American squad that captured the gold.

IT'S BACK: Italy's Nino Bibbia captured the gold as skeleton returned to St. Moritz in 1948 — 20 years after the first Olympic competition.

SILVER REUNION: Just as skeleton returned after a 20-year absence to Olympic competition at the 1948 St. Moritz Games, so did American John Heaton. As a 19-year-old winning the silver medal a the 1928 St. Moritz Games, Heaton — as a 39-year-old — duplicated the feat 20 years later.

ONLY IN SWITZERLAND: For the longest time, it appeared that skeleton would only be an Olympic sport whenever the Games were held in St. Moritz, long considered the birthplace of luge and skeleton. That's why the 1928 and 1948 Games in St. Moritz were the only Olympics that included the home-grown sport of skeleton. But skeleton has increased in interest and international competition.

IT'S BACK, PART 2: After a 54-year absence, skeleton returns to the Winter Olympics as a sport added to the schedule for the 2002 Salt Lake Games. Events will be the men's singles and women's singles.

© 2001 Deseret News Publishing Company