Issue Date: 2/13/06
U.S. women go 1-2 in halfpipe
By Charean Williams
KRT News Service
KRT News Service
- Page 1 of 2 next >
BARDONECCHIA, Italy - Hannah Teter has spent her life trying to keep up with her three snowboarding brothers. On Monday, she quit following.
Teter, 19, won the gold medal in the halfpipe, while her U.S. teammate, Gretchen Bleiler took the silver. Only Norway's Kjersti Buaas prevented an American sweep, stealing the bronze from defending Olympic champion Kelly Clark.
"(Hannah) was always the rag-tag little tomgirl, kind of following around and trying to keep up with her older brothers and do her thing," said Amen Teter, who manages the professional snowboarding careers of Hannah and brothers Elijah and Abe. "Hannah's always been about keeping up with the boys. It shows. She's always like, `I can do that.'"
Snowboarding has been the best news for the U.S. Olympic team thus far. The U.S. won four of the six medals awarded in the all-American sport. Shaun White and Danny Kass won the gold and the silver respectively Sunday, with Mason Aguirre finishing fourth.
"We set some high goals," U.S. coach Bud Keene said. "We wanted to sweep everything. Our actual stated goals were two medals for men and two medals for women, which is exactly what we got. We're stoked about that."
Riders get two trips down the chute in the halfpipe final, with only their best score counting. On Clark's final run, knowing she was in fourth place, she went for broke with a go-big run. Clark had the gold medal until losing her balance on the landing of a 2 ½-spin jump at the end.
"She would have won with that run," Keene said.
Clark, who scored a 47.9 out of 50 to win the gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, had a 41.1 on her first run Monday. Buaas scored a 42 on her second attempt for the bronze.
But Clark was the first to congratulate Teter and Bleiler and stayed around to watch the flower ceremony afterward.
"I really went for it," said Clark, who was born in Newport, R.I., and now resides in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. "I figured I might as well leave here not regretting anything, and that's how I'm leaving today. There was amazing riding thrown down today. The people who are on the podium are the people who should be on the podium. . . . I'm so happy for my friends."
Teter, 19, won the gold medal in the halfpipe, while her U.S. teammate, Gretchen Bleiler took the silver. Only Norway's Kjersti Buaas prevented an American sweep, stealing the bronze from defending Olympic champion Kelly Clark.
"(Hannah) was always the rag-tag little tomgirl, kind of following around and trying to keep up with her older brothers and do her thing," said Amen Teter, who manages the professional snowboarding careers of Hannah and brothers Elijah and Abe. "Hannah's always been about keeping up with the boys. It shows. She's always like, `I can do that.'"
Snowboarding has been the best news for the U.S. Olympic team thus far. The U.S. won four of the six medals awarded in the all-American sport. Shaun White and Danny Kass won the gold and the silver respectively Sunday, with Mason Aguirre finishing fourth.
"We set some high goals," U.S. coach Bud Keene said. "We wanted to sweep everything. Our actual stated goals were two medals for men and two medals for women, which is exactly what we got. We're stoked about that."
Riders get two trips down the chute in the halfpipe final, with only their best score counting. On Clark's final run, knowing she was in fourth place, she went for broke with a go-big run. Clark had the gold medal until losing her balance on the landing of a 2 ½-spin jump at the end.
"She would have won with that run," Keene said.
Clark, who scored a 47.9 out of 50 to win the gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, had a 41.1 on her first run Monday. Buaas scored a 42 on her second attempt for the bronze.
But Clark was the first to congratulate Teter and Bleiler and stayed around to watch the flower ceremony afterward.
"I really went for it," said Clark, who was born in Newport, R.I., and now resides in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. "I figured I might as well leave here not regretting anything, and that's how I'm leaving today. There was amazing riding thrown down today. The people who are on the podium are the people who should be on the podium. . . . I'm so happy for my friends."