WORLD CUP SKIING : U.S. Team Faces Daunting Task

The walls of the hotel housing the world’s best gate skiers are decorated with colorful placards drawn by school children to the theme: “The road to the Olympics begins here.”

For the United States men’s technical team, it’s a long and winding road.

Outgunned by a stacked slalom deck that includes Italy’s Alberto Tomba, rising Norwegian superstar Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Sweden’s Tomas Fogdoe, the U.S. ski team attempts to take a small but forward step this weekend at the Subaru America’s Opener.

The World Cup event will feature a giant slalom today and a slalom on Sunday.

American hopes in technical events are slim. Neither Jeremy Nobis, the team’s best GS candidate, nor Matt Grosjean, the top American slalom skier, figure to crack the top 10 this weekend.

Nobis, 23, who grew up in Park City, is a bona fide talent but has been slowed by knee injuries the last two seasons.

The 23-year-old Grosjean finished 10th in slalom at the 1992 Olympics but slipped some last year.

The U.S. plan is for Nobis and Grosjean to work gradually but steadily toward the upper echelon in the three months before the 1994 Olympic Games at Lillehammer.