FREESTYLE SKIING

MEN’S MOGULS

* Where: Sauze d’Ouix Jouvenceaux.

* When: Feb. 15.

* Best of the U.S.: Jeremy Bloom, who won six consecutive World Cup events -- and the moguls title -- last year, hopes to improve on his ninth-place finish at the Salt Lake City Games. Travis Mayer, who won the silver at Salt Lake City, was fifth on last year’s World Cup circuit.

* Best of the rest: Finland’s Janne Lahtela is the defending Olympic champion. Canada’s Marc-Andre Moreau was second at the world championships and has been a consistent top-10 World Cup finisher. Australian Dale Begg-Smoth is another strong contender.

* U.S. chances to medal: All four skiers were ranked in the World Cup’s top 10 when the team was selected, so the chances are good.

* Little-known fact: Mayer last summer was involved in a car accident in New York, in which the driver of the other car, a mother of two, was killed. Mayer ran a stop sign but was not charged with a crime.

*

WOMEN’S MOGULS

* Where: Sauze d’Ouix Jouvenceaux.

* When: Feb. 11.

* Best of the U.S.: Hannah Kearny, making her Olympic debut, won the 2005 world championships. Shannon Bahrke hopes to improve on her silver-medal performance at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

* Best of the rest: Norway’s Kari Traa is the defending Olympic gold medalist. Canada’s Jennifer Heil won the World Cup title the last two seasons. The Czech Republic’s Nikola Sudova was second to Kearny at the world championships.

* U.S. chances to medal: Good, but the international talent pool is deep.

* Little-known fact: Traa, who will compete in her fourth Olympics, is fond of the beer her mother makes at home, calling it a healthy beverage.

*

MEN’S AERIALS

* Where: Sauze d’Ouix Jouvenceaux.

* When: Feb. 23.

* Best of the U.S.: Jeret Peterson, who was ninth at the Salt Lake City Games, is the reigning World Cup champion. Joe Pack won the silver at Salt Lake City, and Eric Bergoust won gold at the 1998 Nagano Games.

* Best of the rest: Canadian Steve Omischi, who was 11th at Salt Lake City, is the reigning world champion. Aleksei Grichin of Belarus won the bronze at Salt Lake City

* U.S. chances to medal: The team is strong enough to land at least one spot on the podium.

* Little-known fact: As a boy, Bergoust was fond of climbing the family home’s chimney, then jumping onto a stack of mattresses.

*

WOMEN’S AERIALS

* Where: Sauze d’Ouix Jouvenceaux.

* When: Feb. 22.

* Best of the U.S.: Emily Cook, who qualified for the 2002 team but was sidelined because of injury, won the Olympic trials and will make her Olympic debut. Jana Lindsey was 10th at last season’s world championships.

* Best of the rest: Li Nina of China is the World Cup champion and winner of the World Championships. Australian Alisa Camplin is the defending Olympic champion.

* U.S. chances to medal: Others would need to falter for the U.S. to claim a podium spot.

* Little-known fact: Cook’s mother died as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident when Emily was only 15 months old.

-- Pete Thomas