For the week of December 12 - 18, 2001

Olympic skiers 
train here

Six nations to compete in race

---

By PETER BOLTZ
Express Staff Writer

Residents of the Wood River Valley will be getting a taste of the 2002 Winter Olympics with a men’s and women’s cross country race Jan. 30 at the Sun Valley Gun Club.

Rick Kapala, head coach of the Sun Valley Cross Country Ski Team, said several nations have so far confirmed they will have their teams training here, starting about Jan. 20.

They will also participate in one competition on Jan. 30 sponsored by the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.

The women’s teams will race at 10 a.m. in a 5 kilometer classic technique race.

The men’s teams will race at 1 p.m. in a 10 kilometer skating technique race.

Kapala listed the following national cross country teams: Norwegian men’s and women’s teams; Swedish women’s team; Liechtenstein men’s and women’s teams; and Canadian men’s and women’s teams.

He said the men’s and women’s Swedish and Ukrainian biathlon teams will also be here around Jan. 20.

Jack Sibbach, Sun Valley’s director of marketing and public relations, said that in addition to the teams Kapala listed, the Italian men’s team and "some" of the Ukrainian team are coming.

Sibbach said the Italian giant slalom and slalom teams will also be training in the Sun Valley area. The Ukrainian men’s, women’s and pair’s ice skaters may also be among the approximately 200 Olympic athletes training here.

He said that because many of the Olympians are not scheduled to compete in Salt Lake City until late in the schedule, they will be training in the Sun Valley area up through Feb. 16.

The opening ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Olympics are on Feb. 8. The closing ceremonies are on Feb. 24.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.