WINTER OLYMPICS COUNTDOWN: 43 DAYS UNTIL THE GAMES
Alpine Skiing: U.S. men will compete for an Olympic berth and $10,000 bonus in a giant slalom Saturday at Park City Resort and a slalom Sunday at Deer Valley, Utah. The World Cup circuit moves on to Bormio, Italy, for a downhill.... Caroline Lalive intends to continue competing in the downhill, slalom, giant slalom and super-giant slalom rather than specialize. Lalive, of Truckee, started the season slowly and recorded her best result with a third-place finish in a super-G this month at Lake Louise, Canada. “I’ve got my confidence back,” she said. “I’ll still keep shooting for the four.” ... The next women’s World Cup event is a giant slalom Saturday at Lienz, Austria.
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Biathlon/Cross Country: Vesa Hietalahti of Finland won a men’s 15-kilometer mass start biathlon World Cup competition last weekend in Brezno-Osrblie, Slovakia, his first World Cup victory in six years. Women’s World Cup points leader Magdalena Forsberg of Sweden won the women’s 12.5-kilometer race, her sixth triumph this season.... Norwegians continued their domination of cross-country events with victories by Bente Skari in a women’s sprint and by Jens Arne Svartedal in a men’s sprint last weekend at Asiago, Italy.... Skari gave her competitors a break by skipping a 30-kilometer freestyle race Saturday at Ramsau, Austria. The winner was Kristina Smigun of Estonia. The men’s winner was Per Elofsson of Sweden.... The biathlon trials begin Saturday at Heber City, Utah.
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Bobsled-Luge-Skeleton: The last of two U.S. two-man bobsled Olympic berths will be determined this weekend during four-man trials at Utah Olympic Park. Driver Todd Hays has one spot, but hasn’t chosen a brakeman. Brian Shimer and Mike Dionne are battling for the other spot.... Lugers are taking a break before gathering in Park City next week to train for the second half of the World Cup series and the Olympics.... The next skeleton event takes place this weekend at Olympic Park.
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Curling: With the U.S. Olympic trials over, curlers are practicing at their own clubs and trying to prepare for the Games. Members of the Kari Erickson team, which will be the U.S. women’s entry, are scattered throughout the Midwest. They plan to try to meet in Calgary, Canada, or in Bemidji, Minn., before the Games.
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Figure Skating: Police in Moscow are investigating the stabbing death of 1984 Olympic bronze medalist Kira Ivanova, the only Soviet or Russian woman to have won an Olympic singles skating medal. Ivanova, 38, became a coach but had battled alcoholism in recent years.... The Russian championships began today in Moscow. However, Alexei Yagudin has reportedly withdrawn because of an ankle injury. He has won three world championships but has has never won his country’s title. He has been the runner-up the last four years, the last three behind Evgeni Plushenko.
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Freestyle Skiing: A New Year’s Eve Gold Cup event at Deer Valley will clarify the U.S. Olympic team outlook. Joe Pack and Eric Bergoust are favored in the men’s aerials, with Emily Cook and Tracy Evans the top women’s contenders. Donna Weinbrecht, a three-time Olympian, can clinch an Olympic berth with a victory.
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Hockey: Swedish hockey officials, who considered withdrawing the women’s team from the Olympics because of its 15-game losing streak, will send the team to Salt Lake City. The Swedish women were outscored, 106-11, during that streak.... The U.S. women’s team ends a holiday break Saturday at Lake Placid, N.Y., against Russia in the Holiday Tournament. Also competing are Germany and Dartmouth College.... The Buffalo Sabres will allow Slovak winger Miroslav Satan to play one game for his country in the Olympic preliminary round.... The Colorado Avalanche will let Swiss-born goalie David Aebischer play for his homeland Feb. 9 against France if No. 1 goalie Patrick Roy isn’t injured.
*Nordic Combined/Ski Jumping: Polish ski jumper Adam Malysz recorded his sixth World Cup victory of the season last weekend at Predazzo, Italy. He defeated Simon Ammann of Switzerland and Andreas Widhoelzl of Austria. Besides his six victories, Malysz has two seconds and a third.... The next event is the Four Hill tournament in Germany and Austria over New Year’s.
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Snowboard: The third of five halfpipe Olympic qualifying events is next week at Mt. Bachelor, Ore. Lisa Kosglow and Rosey Fletcher each recorded a victory and a second-place finish in previous events. Competitors can select the best two results of five competitions in parallel giant slalom or halfpipe.
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Speedskating: Maria Garcia of Carson, the U.S. junior short track champion, was eliminated in the 1,000-meter time trials at the U.S. short track championships, but Jade Wheeler of Los Alamitos and Lezleigh Jaworski of Long Beach advanced. They accumulated 165 points and 128 points to finish 13th and 14th, respectively, in the 16-woman field.... Susan Auch of Canada, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 500, qualified for the 1,000 at age 35.