‘94 WINTER OLYMPICS / LILLEHAMMER : NOTEBOOK

Canada’s Kerrin Lee-Gartner, the 1992 Olympic downhill champion, finished 19th Saturday. But she wasn’t the least bit dejected.

Lee-Gartner debated all week whether to race the downhill in light of the recent death of Austria’s Ulrike Maier, a close friend.

After participating in downhill training, Lee-Gartner decided Friday to race. “A lot of people don’t understand, my goal really is just to enjoy the sport again,” Lee-Gartner said. “I felt good. I don’t even know where I finished. I’m really happy, proud of myself, that I could go up there and enjoy it.”

Lee-Gartner said she might skip next week’s downhill and return home to Canada.

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Maier’s death also had an effect on Dee Street, mother of Picabo, silver medalist in Saturday’s downhill. It was only after Dee learned to ski herself, she said, that she was able to watch her daughter ski without becoming a nervous wreck.

Picabo Street was leading the Jan. 29 downhill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in which Maier was killed.

“I have watched that video over and over,” Dee Street said. “I just had to come to the conclusion that it was her time.”

Picabo said she has tried to calm her mother’s fears: “I’ve told my mom, ‘Don’t worry, I don’t ever ski out of control, ever.’ Ulli’s was a terrible, terrible, freak accident. It was just destiny for her.”

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American Hilary Lindh, the silver medalist in downhill at the 1992 Albertville Games, finished seventh. “I’m a little disappointed, but I skied well on the top and at least I have to feel good about that,” she said.

Also for the United States, Megan Gerety finished 20th and Krista Schmidinger finished 27th.