Challenge Magazine Spring 06

"Perspective" "DS/USA News" "Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project" "Names in the News" "Sports & Recreation Articles" "News Briefs Articles" "Another Successful Run - Ski Spectacular News" "Stoked About Skateboarding" "Come Sail Away" "Marketplace" "Chapter News Articles & Chapter Feature Article"

The Opening Ceremony culminated in the lighting of the Olympic Couldron.  After the torch was passed through all the hands of team members, it was handed off to former Paralympican Aroldo Ruschioni, seated.  Ruschioni, a three time medal winner of th e1960 Paralympics in Rome, then assisted Silvia Battaglio, and 11-year-old visually immapired child, in lighting the cauldron.

The wholehearted support that the Italians shared during the IX Paralympic Winter Games certainly brought to life the tagline that adorned the venues and host city of Torino: Passion Lives Here. The contagious enthusiasm from the people of Italy created an atmosphere of camaraderie and competitive spirit that the elite, international Paralympic competition stands for. During the nine days of competition, more than 162,000 event tickets were sold. Along with friends, families, and fans decked out in patriotic garb and carrying flags from across the world, hundreds of school children from Italy and France watched the action. Kirk Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA, and a member of the 1980 U.S. Disabled Ski Team represented the United States at the opening ceremonies. Bauer was a member of the U.S. delegation, the first time a delegation has been sent to the Paralympics to represent the President. Other members were Nancy Starnes, Vice President and Chief of Staff, National Organization on Disability; Chad Colley, Former National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans; Deborah Graze, U.S. Counsul General; Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education and head of the delegation; Stephani Victor, Paralympic mono-ski racer; and Dr. Robert Harney, Classifier for the IPC and DS/USA Board Member.

Steve Cook

“With disabled skiers now able to race downhill at speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour, there is no question that the Paralympians have earned the right to be considered amongst the best athletes in the world,” Bauer said. Representing the United States as flag bearer was Chris Devlin-Young, a two-time Paralympian and three-time Paralympic medalist. A member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team for more than a decade, he was chosen by the team captains because of his exceptional leadership, both on the alpine ski team and among fellow athletes.

The four winter Paralympic sports – alpine and Nordic skiing, sled hockey and, making its debut this year, wheelchair curling – brought out 477 athletes from 39 countries. For the first time, athletes from Mexico and Mongolia competed in the events.

Apparent at the 2006 Games was an increased level of competition from the international field. The Ukraine, after finishing 18th at the 2002 Salt Lake Paralympic Games, climbed 15 spots to finish third in medals at Torino.

Team USA finished with seven gold medals, tying the Ukraine and France for third place. Russia took first place in the standings with 13 gold medals, while Germany followed in second place with eight.

The Russians and Ukrainians dominated the Nordic (cross-country and biathlon) events, while Germany, France, and Austria gained the majority of podium spots during alpine competition.

The introduction of the new, three-category system in alpine skiing added a more competitive element to the races. Skiers who had previously competed in separate classifications faced each other head-to-head in only three categories: sitting, standing, and visually impaired (VI).

“In the last Paralympics, athletes had to work hard to beat 10 other people. Now, they need to work harder to beat 80 or 100 other people,” said Kevin Jardine, head coach of the U.S. Paralympic Alpine Ski Team. “Any medal [in Italy] is well earned. It’s not easy.”

Fewer medal events with more athletes means that a higher value is placed on each medal.

“I think it is harder [to win] with the three class system,” said Sandy Dukat, who won bronze in the women’s standing slalom. “It gives more credibility to my ability as a ski racer.”

Jardine agrees. “That extra competition is great for the sport,” he said. “I think it shows that different disabilities can compete against each other and be very competitive, with a good factoring system in place to equal out the different disabilities.”

The stiff competition didn’t seem to be an obstacle for 22-year-old mono-skier Laurie Stephens. In a memorable Paralympic debut, she took home three medals – gold in women’s sitting downhill and super-G, and silver in the giant slalom (GS.)

A three-time defending World Cup Overall Champion, Stephens was named as the United States Olympic Committee 2005 Paralympian of the Year.

“Laurie is revolutionizing not just women’s mono-skiing, but mono-skiing in general,” said fellow teammate and competitor Lacey Heward (Boise, Idaho), who plans to retire now that the 2006 Paralympics have come to a close. “Laurie has the ability to go as fast as the mono-men. She’s pushing the sport to a more elite level.”

Another athlete who made his way to the podium multiple times was Nordic skier Steve Cook. On his first day of racing, he took the gold in the men’s standing 5K freestyle.

His first career gold (Cook nabbed four silvers in Salt Lake in 2002), this also represented the first gold medal in 14 years for the U.S. Disabled Nordic Ski Team. Cook went on to claim the top spot in the 10K classic race, then bronze in the 20K classic.

“The team com-peted and performed well throughout the Games,” said Joe Walsh, managing director of U.S. Paralympics. “In addition to the seven gold medals and twelve medals overall, they had nine fourth or fifth place finishes, most of which were under one percent from third.”

One of those close finishes came from Nordic newcomer Kelly Underkofler, who missed third place in the biathlon by less than a second.

Watch for continued success from three-tracker alpine skier Allison Jones – who earned a gold medal on her last day of competition in the women’s standing slalom – as well as standing skiers Brad Washburn and Elitsa Storey.

Tyler Walker, who finished third overall in the 2005-06 World Cup standings and first in giant slalom, is sure to dominate mono-skiing competition as he continues to gain experience with more international competition.

For young athletes trying to succeed, the key is confidence, said veteran alpine team member Chris Devlin-Young. “You need to say, ‘Here I am on the world stage and I belong.’ Saying ‘I belong’ is a big hurdle.”

“The 2006 team was probably the youngest we have had in a long while,” said Walsh. “This brings great energy and excitement to the competition. It also shows that Paralympic sport in the USA is available to more young athletes, which is great both for their lifestyles and for the level of competition for U.S. Paralympics Teams.”

One of the best examples of this base of young athletes is the 2006 U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team, who has eight players 20 years old or younger.

Sled hockey, which debuted at the Lillehammer 1994 Paralympic Winter Games, has gained in popularity in recent years. With more development programs budding across the U.S., the sport is sure to rally a growing fan base to the action on the ice.

While Team USA was looking for a gold medal repeat in Torino, the players were still pleased to be coming home with a bronze medal around their necks.

“No matter what the color of the medal is, we have a lot to be proud of,” said team captain Joe Howard.

Looking back on the nine days of competition, the U.S. athletes shared an appreciation of the elite level of sport and competitive spirit that characterizes the Paralympics.

“We have such fierce competition on the hill. There’s so much at stake, but back at village – everyone’s friendly with the other

countries,” said Stephani Victor, who claimed the women’s sitting slalom title on the last day of competition. “It’s not just about sports, but about life. There’s a lot to be learned.”

“I’m proud of my competitors,” said Heward. “This is what the Paralympics is about…elite athleticism.”

“The people that came [to Italy] and the people that watched from home witnessed sport of its purest form,” said Devlin-Young. “These athletes are true competitors.”

The U.S. Delegation to the IXth Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony. Standing in the back row are Kirk Bauer, Executive Director, Disabled Sports USA; Deborah Graze, U.S. Consel General; Margaret Spellings, U.S. Secretary of Education. Seated in front are Nancy Starnes, Vice President and Chief of Staff, National Organization on Disability; and Chad Colley, Former National Commander of the Disabled American Veterans.

Tara Dugan is a freelance writer who has been reporting on adaptive sports since 2000.  After working in high-technology public relations for several years in Boston and San Francisco, she now enjoys mountain living in Breckenridge, Colo.

Joe Kusumoto (www.kusumotophoto.com) has been taking pictures of disabled sporting events for more than six years and covered the Athens Paralympic Games in 2004.  When he's not carrying his camera, Joe is an adaptive ski instructor and raft guide for the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center.