Sunday, February 17, 2002
Women's aerials awards up for grabs
By CHRIS STEVENSON -- SLAM! Sports
SALT LAKE CITY - The twists at the women's aerials Monday might not be limited just to the jumps.
In a series of unexpected developments, the competition - which includes Canadians Deidra Dionne of Red Deer, AB, who qualified sixth, Veronica Brenner of Sharon, ON, who was eighth and Veronika Bauer of Toronto who was ninth - is wide open.
With the favourites either hurt or running scared, the three steps on the podium have no one's name on them.
Switzerland's Evelyne Leu, who set a world record in qualifying, is planning to throw everything she's got at the field with the hope of duplicating her performance Saturday.
She landed a back/Lay-Full-Full for 103.74 points which helped her to a record total for her two jumps of 203.16, almost three points better than the previous mark, set by China's Xiaoou Ji in 1998.
Her performance came out of nowhere given Leu is ranked 22nd in the world.
She was the only finalist to attempt triples in qualifying.
"I'm going to use my same jumps again and hopefully I will get a medal," said the 25-year-old electrical engineer. "I know I can jump - it's just getting the timing right."
Bauer is going to use her same tricks as in qualifying while Dionne and Brenner are going to upgrade to triples. They'll attempt a double twisting double backflip and then a triple twisting double backflip.
"I can't win with the jumps I did (Saturday)," said Brenner.
Leu might be hot, but does she have the ability to keep it together with medals on the line?
She was ranked fourth at the 2001 world championships and won twice, both times in the USA, including an event Deer Valley where Monday's event will be held. Still, her performance Saturday was a shock.
Making the event even more interesting is the fact Jacqui Cooper of Australia, ranked second in the world, had to miss the event because of a knee injury sustained in training.
The second qualifier, Alisa Camplin of Australia, also came from nowhere. She was ranked 21st coming into the Olympics.
"(Leu)'s an up-and-down performer," said Camplin, "so hopefully I can do my jumps on Monday and do well."
Lurking in the third hole is world number one Alla Tsuper of Belarus, but she is refusing to perform triples on the Deer Valley jump. It will be difficult to make the podium without a triple.
"I am scared to do the triple here," said Tsuper. "The hill, it scares me. Maybe I can win with doubles, I don't know."
2002 Games Freestyle Skiing Coverage
