Alaskan downhillers Hilary Lindh and Tommy Moe highlighted the 22-member alpine team that was named Sunday to represent the United States in the Winter Olympics.
Lindh, 24, of Juneau, who attended Rowmark Academy in Salt Lake City, reached the peak of an eight-year career when she won a World Cup downhill at Sierra Nevada, Spain. Moe has been a consistent top 10 finisher in downhill, super-G and combined, with a pair of thirds the best showings by the 23-year-old from Girdwood.Ten men and 12 women were placed on the American team, and U.S. Ski Team Alpine director Paul Major said each athlete would start in at least one event during the 15 days of competition, beginning Sunday.
"I think we have a stronger team with more momentum than we had going into Albertville, and we won two medals there," Major said by conference call from Oslo. "I don't know what's going to happen here.
"I'm very excited, our staff is excited. We did our job and picked the best team we could. Everyone but the last person picked has scored World Cup points and that says a lot about the team."
Downhill appears to be the strongest medal hope for the American team. Lindh comes into Lillehammer as the defending Olympic downhill silver medalist and riding the momentum of her first career victory. She is joined by Picabo Street of Sun Valley, Idaho, who won a silver medal in the combined in last year's world championships.
On the men's side, Moe is supported by AJ Kitt of Rochester, N.Y., who won a World Cup race two seasons ago and had two apparent victories last year taken away when races were canceled because of poor weather and conditions. He salvaged that season by winning the downhill bronze medal in the world championships.
Kitt hasn't sparkled this season, but Major thinks the slow start could be a blessing.
"In past years, when he's started fast, he wasn't able to carry it through," Major said. "What we've wanted is for him to build up gradually and that's what he's been doing. I think AJ will do just fine."
Also on the team are Diann Roffe-Steinrotter of Potsdam, N.Y., who shared the silver medal in giant slalom at Albertville, and Julie Parisien of Sugarloaf, Maine, silver medalist in last year's world championship slalom.
Julie's sister, Anna, gives the Olympic team a sister act, and Jeremy and Shannon Nobis of Park City, Utah supply a brother-sister cpmbination.
Rounding out the women's team are Megan Gerety of Anchorage, Alaska; Monique Pelletier of Hood River, Ore., Krista Schmidinger of Lee, Mass.; Carrie Sheinberg of Port Washington, N.Y.; Eva Twardokens of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Heidi Voelker of Pittsfield, Mass.
The men's team includes Chad Fleischer of Vail, Colo.; Matt Grosjean of Steamboat Springs, Colo.; Harper Phillips of Waitsfield, Vt.; Casey Puckett of Crested Butte, Colo.; Kyle Rasmussen of Angels Camp, Calif.; Erik Schlopy of Park City, Utah, and Craig Thrasher of Steamboat Springs, Colo.