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Whistler Creekside, BC March 20 It was another day of medals for the U.S. as Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah) took gold and teammate Alana Nichols (Farmington, NM) earned bronze in the women's sit-ski. Danelle Umstead (Taos, NM) and her guide Rob Umstead also won a bronze in the visually impaired class during the super combined at the 2010 Paralympics. Victor threw down the two fastest runs of her division, and credited a no-holds-barred attitude and perfect course conditions with her success. "Today was absolutely amazing, I had the fastest time in both runs and skied with all my heart," Jones said. "Marcel did an amazing job with the ski preparation for the Super G, it was a sheet of ice and I attacked right out of the start. For the second run, the slalom, I was the very last racer to come down. It was awesome." The super combined gold marked Victor's fifth career medal in the Paralympics, after two other silver medals in slalom and giant slalom in Vancouver, gold in slalom in 2006, and bronze in downhill in 2002. For Nichols, the bronze marked her fourth of the Games with two golds in giant slalom and downhill, silver in super G. Joining the excitement, the Umsteads marked their first Paralympic medal as a team. According to the duo, earning their medal was not only a victory athletically, but one for their trust as a team. "I was very stoked," said Danelle Umstead. "I was very nervous going into it. I just really put my trust in my husband because I had a stress attack at the top. I was stressing up at the top, just because of the pressure because I don't finish slaloms very often. It was really nice to finally finish a slalom and actually get third when I did." With three team medals, no one was happier about the performance laid down by the U.S. team than U.S. Adaptive Alpine Head Coach Ray Watkins. "That's what our team's about," said Watkins. "Yesterday wasn't the best. We talked about it last night. We've worked too hard to not finish the deal. Today they finished the deal. We had some real good, strong skiing by everybody. That's what our country's about, fighting right to the end and never giving up." The super combined marked the final competition for alpine racers at the 2010 Games. The cross country team will race Sunday before the Paralympics Closing Ceremonies. OFFICIAL RESULTS Men's Standing Men's Sitting Men's Visually Impaired Women's Standing Women's Sitting Women's Visually Impaired Whistler Creekside, BC March 18 It was a medal-filled day for the U.S. as four athletes earned hardware in the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games downhill, with Alana Nichols (Farmington, NM; sit-ski) winning gold and Laurie Stephens (Wenham, MA; sit-ski) silver in women's sitting, Danelle Umstead (Taos, NM; visually impaired) taking bronze in the women's visually-impaired and Mark Bathum (Seattle, WA; visually impaired) winning silver in the men's visually impaired. Nichols, who also won gold in Tuesday’s giant slalom race, won with a time of 1:23.31. Despite not feeling well, Stephens came in at 1:28.26 (+4.95) to claim the silver and Claudia Loesch of Austria won the bronze (1:29.89, +6.58). “I love downhill,” said Nichols. “It’s my favorite event and I wanted to throw a solid run. I did what I came to do. It’s fulfilling and exciting for me to have executed it. Any athlete can relate to that – you want to do well, your personal best, and I did that today.” A self-described “adrenaline junkie,” Nichols, like most of her U.S. teammates, loves the speed events. “I’m a little crazy. I think that’s what makes me a good speed skier. You have to be able to hold your upper body really strong and hold your position. It’s such an adrenaline rush,” she said. Stephens is the defending gold medalist from Torino. “I definitely could have skied a little better,” Stephens said after the race. “The course is bumpy and I just didn’t have it today. I’m happy with the results and excited for my teammate.” On Tuesday, Nichols became the first female U.S. Paralympian to win gold at both the summer and winter Games. She won gold with the women’s wheelchair basketball team in Beijing. She shared the podium on Tuesday with teammate, Stephani Victor (Park City, UT), who won silver in the GS and came in fourth in Thursday’s race. Bathum missed out on the top spot by less than a half second. Taking gold in a time of 1:18.23 was Spain’s Jon Santacana Maiztegui, just 0.40 ahead of Bathum’s time of 1:18.63. Claiming the bronze were Gerd Gradwohl and his guide Karl-Heinz Vachenaur of Germany (1:20.40, +2.17). Out of a field of 12, the USA duo was in first with six sets of skiers yet to run the course. They had to wait until the eventual gold medalists, the second to last skiers to race after being yellow flagged and getting a rerun, came down. “After awhile you know who is able to make the podium,” commented Bathum. “I think there was one racer shortly after us, then one who got a rerun, who we knew could ski well enough to win. Unfortunately one of them did. But they're very good skiers and very nice guys.” Capturing gold in the women’s visually impaired race was Canada’s Viviane Forest and her guide Lindsay Debou in a time of 1:27.51; Slovakia’s Henrieta Farkasova and her guide Natalia Subrtova took the silver (1:28.17 (+0.66); while Umstead finished in 1:30.18 (+2.67). “I like the downhill and all the speed events,” added Umstead. “I seem to stay up better when I’m going a lot faster. It was a little firmer than I expected and a lot faster. I didn’t fall today, woo hoo!” In the men’s sitting classification, Switzerland’s Christoph Kunz won gold with a time of 1:18.19. Japan’s Taiki Morii won silver at 1:18.63 (+0.44) and Akira Kano, also of Japan, won bronze with a time of 1:19.19 (+1.00). Of the 28 competitors in Thursday’s race, eight did not finish. In the women’s standing cassification, Canada’s Lauren Woolstencroft collected gold in slalom and giant slalom here in Whistler and added to her gold medal haul today in the standing downhill in a time of 1:25.54. She was followed by France’s Solene Jambaque (1:29.94, +4.40) in silver and Germany’s Andrea Rothfuss took the bronze (1:30.58, +5.04). The three competing sitting U.S. men, heavily favored to do well in today’s event, were among the victims of today’s crashes. Both Joe Tompkins (Juneau, Alaska; sit-ski) and Tyler Walker (Franconia, NH; sit-ski.) fell towards the top of the course and did not finish, while Chris Devlin-Young (Campton, NH; sit-ski) fell near the finish line (off “hot air”) and recovered to finish the race, but not in enough time put himself in medal contention. Brad Washburn (Winter Park, CO; standing) topped the USA men’s standing downhillers, finishing in 14th place with a time of 1:26.40 (+5.60). George Sansonetis (Fraser, CO; standing), at 1:28.47 (+7.67), and Monte Meier (Park City, UT; standing), at 1:28.48 (+7.68), finished in 21st and 22nd place, respectively. Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, CO; standing), who is just beginning to get into the speed events, finished in fifth place in the standing women’s downhill. Teammate Caitlin Sarubbi (Brooklyn, NY; visually impaired) did not finish after Sarubbi skied off the course right above Hot Air. Races continue Friday March 19 with the sitting super G. Standing athletes will race the super G on March 20. The super combined for all athletes will be held on March 21. Races are broadcast live online at www.paralympicsport.tv. Universal is nightly at 6 p.m. EDT on Universal Sports TV. OFFICIAL RESULTS Men’s Sitting Gold: Christoph Kunz, Switzerland, 1:18.19 Men's Standing Gold: Gerd Schonfelder, Germany, 1:20.80 Men's Visually Impaired Gold: Jon Santacana Maiztegui, Spain, 1:18.23 Women’s Sitting Gold: Alana Nichols, Farmington, NM, 1:23.31 Women's Standing Gold: Lauren Woolstencroft, Canada, 1:25.54 Women's Visually Impaired Gold: Viviane Forest, Canada, 1:27.51 _____________________________________________________ |
2010 Paralympic Winter Games
Photos by Paul Murray
Photos by Paul Murray |
The Victory was Sweet. America’s sled hockey team triumphed over seven world sledge hockey teams to win the Paralympic gold medal at Canada's UBC Thunderbird stadium. The full stadium roared as USA beat Japan two to zero, concluding the week long round robin tournament in which US goalie Steve Cash prevented a single goal. Paralympic officials stated, “The biggest surprise of the Paralympic games was the failure of Canada's gold-medal defending sledge-hockey.” Canada placed fourth. The USA sled hockey team is the first Paralympic team to win two gold medals. From the wild swings, speed and crashes of sledge hockey, the wheelchair curling round robin progressed in a hushed atmosphere at the pristine Vancouver Paralympic Centre. USA, which began with strong finishes in their initial sessions, fell to a fourth place finish. Jacqui Kapinski and Augusto Perez led the team up to the semi-final where they lost 5 to 7 to South Korea. In a final bronze match Sweden defeated USA 7 to 5, blocking them from the podium. The weather cleared at Whistler where skiers brought home eleven of USA's thirteen medals. Alana Nichols brought home 4, Stephani Victor 3, and Danielle Umstead 3. Silver medals went to alpine skiers, Mark Bathum and Laurie Stephens. USA finished fifth in the Paralympics, which were dominated by Russia with 38 medals. The closing ceremonies Sunday night at Whistler Creek in Vancouver brought torch bearing skiers slaloming against the starry night, brilliant fireworks, and aboriginal dancing and singing. The torch was passed to the Russians, crowds of whom wore scarves and hats which read “Sochi”, the site of the 2014 Paralympics Games. Reported by Elizabeth Corcoran Murray _____________________________________________________ Team USA has Tied Canada for first place in curling following its wins against Italy (8-2) and Great Britain (8-7). They have completed six of their twelve sessions in the Round Robin. With its loyal curling fan base, a loss for Canadians would be almost as humiliating as a loss in hockey. And it may happen. The USA curling team is playing stronger and more strategically each session. Reported by Elizabeth Corcoran Murray _____________________________________________________ Curling Does Not Get the Respect it Deserves in America. While Canadians scrutinize the precision of the gliding stone, Americans are confused as the forty-two pound “rock” is driven towards the goal, “the tee”. Wheelchair-curling teams include both men and women. More challenging than other curling, there are no sweepers who move ahead of the rock. USA is now tied with Korea (2-1) behind Canada (3 – 0) in the Paralympic round robin tournament. USA had a 6 – 5 win against Germany when Augusto Perz stole a point against Germany’s Jen Jaeger. Reported by Elizabeth Corcoran Murray _____________________________________________________ Team USA Claimed its First Medal of the Paralympics. Andy Soule, an Afghanistan war veteran from Pearland, Texas won the bronze medal in the biathlon. It is the first time a Paralympian has medaled in the biathlon. Soule trains six days a week, often twice a day for three hours each session. Soule legs were amputated above the knee as a result of an improvised explosive device detonating his Humvee. Reported by Elizabeth Corcoran Murray _____________________________________________________ Opening Ceremony Sixty Thousand Spectators Exploded in Applause as they honored the thirteen hundred athletes, coaches, and support staff from forty four countries participating in the 2010 Paralympics at BC Stadium in Vancouver. The two and a half hour phenomenon began with a single trumpet blare, followed by an eruption of music, dancing, and light, demonstrating the theme, “One Inspire Many.” Observers wore green, yellow, and blue ponchos, filling the stadium with the Paralympic colors as they waved their white pom poms. Four children, speaking French, English, and signing, welcomed the crowd, declaring “These games are a celebration of ability”. They introduced Governor General of Canada, Michaelle Jean. The spectacular shows included Montreal based Luc “lazylegz” Patuelli who emerged on crutches, moving slowly to center stage where he flung himself into an astounding break-dance while the music thundered. He balanced first on one hand, then around and around on his crutch, flinging himself horizontally like an acrobat. Twenty dancers joined him on stage creating a break-dance extravaganza. Echoing the encouraging theme, two children spoke in front of the dignitaries while thirty foot projections of light flashed with images of Cole Porter, an inspirational figure. The projections wove around the floor as the children emphasized the twin missions, celebrating ability and inclusion. The stadium held three stages, each with a variety of bands, one of which had fire shooting up the perimeter of the stage. In one of the most breathtaking shows, two circular cloths, one hundred feet in diameter, were draped across the ceiling, one inside the other. The inner and outer circles were connected with strips of cloth, like spokes. As the outer circle fell to the ground and one hundred children danced, the enormous inner circle, resting mid air, dropped its sides, transforming into an enormous mountain, with green lights projected on its side. Sumi, the Paralympic mascot whose animal spirit came from the mountains in British Columbia, flew on a cable onto the floor where children rushed to greet him. In the meantime a Native American elder spoke an eulogy of inspiration. In another spectacle, individuals in wheel chairs rode across the stage in choreographed formation with ten foot white balloons tethered thirty feet above their wheelchairs. As the crowds roared and music blasted, images of the Paralympic athletes were projected onto the balloons. The Opening Ceremony concluded when the parents of Terry Fox, who was honored with a video of his “Marathon of Hope”, carried the torch into the stadium. The Olympic cauldron was lit by fifteen year old Zak Beaumont, while simultaneously, the outdoor Olympic cauldron was lit by Vancouver’s waterfront. The brilliant two and an hour ceremony was produced by Patrick Roberge of Vancouver. Reported by Elizabeth Corcoran Murray _____________________________________________________ Snow, Fog Delays Trials Whistler, Canada March 11 The countdown is on. The crowds are buzzing, the athletes are ready, and tonight the thrilling 2010 Winter Paralympics will open at the Olympic grounds in Vancouver, Canada. The Paralympics will showcase the strength, skill and talent of six hundred competitors with disabilities from thirty three countries. The United States will be represented by 50 athletes, including five former members of the U.S. military, one of whom is a veteran of the Iraq War and one, a veteran of the Afghanistan War. Americans will perform in each of the five events: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, wheelchair curling, and sledge hockey. Paralympic events will be held in both Vancouver and Whistler. On Thursday Whistler was pounded with snow and drenched in fog, delaying trial runs. The Olympic torch arrived in Vancouver on Wednesday, March 10, and was escorted to Riley Park Community Centre by elders of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation from North Vancouver. Today, the Paralympic Cauldron will be lit at BC Place in downtown Vancouver and the spectacular opening ceremonies will mark the beginning the 2010 log awaited Paralympic Games.
P&G continues the ‘Thank You Mom’ program with the moms of the 2010 U.S. Paralympic Team. Additionally, P&G will raise money for Team USA in an effort to have every mom in the U.S. thanked by Mother’s Day. P&G will help defray the cost of travel and accommodations for the mom of every Team USA athlete so that they can see their children compete. P&G will also donate one U.S. dollar to Team USA for moms thanked at thankyoumom.com through March 21, the end of the Paralympic Winter Games. _____________________________________________________
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