Talk about luck. Jimmy Shea, the world's No. 1 skeletoneer, and U.S. team coach Peter Vaiciulis were having breakfast in the Main Street Deli in Park City on Saturday, when who should chance to walk in but President Clinton.
Told of Shea's recent gold medal in the world championships in Germany, the vacationing president not only came over to congratulate Shea but extended an invitation to the White House.'Course no one bothered to ask the president if he knew what skeleton was.
Asked about the meeting, Shea said it was "an honor to have been invited to the White House."
CONDITION UPDATE: Jim Moran, the former U.S. freestyle mogul skier who crashed during free skiing competition in Vail two weeks ago, has been taken off the critical list.
Moran, who moved from Vermont to Park City a few years ago, had been on life support systems since the accident. After taking a big jump, he fell forward and onto his head. Doctors say he is awake and is able to identify some of his family.
His recovery, though, is expected to be long and difficult.
BIG FINISH: For five years the United States owned the women's mogul, then lost control of the title three years ago. Ann Battelle of Steamboat Springs, Colo., brought it back.
Battelle, who had World Cup wins in each of the previous two seasons, was thinking retirement this year but decided to give it one more run. Competing in the season finale in Nagano, she stuck a perfect run. Meanwhile, Marja Elfman of Sweden, who was leading the mogul event up to this point, bombed on her qualifying run and did not make the final cut.
Between Battelle's fortune and Elfman's misfortune, the two finished the season standings in a tie. Under a complicated tiebreaker, the title was pushed to Battelle.
Meanwhile, her young teammate, Michelle Roark of Denver, finished No. 1 in the duals.
FREESTYLING: Battelle and Roark were among the 25-member team that will represent the United States in the World Freestyle Skiing Championships this month.
Several on the list carry Utah addresses. The include: Nikki Stone, a gold medalist last year and a resident of Park City, in aerials; Justin Holland of Park City, in acro (formerly ballet); and Joe Pack, Park City, aerials.
Eric Bergoust, Missoula, Mont., who won the gold in aerials in Japan will also be on the team, but missing will be mogul gold medalist Jonny Moseley. According to the release, Moseley "has limited (his appearances) to select domestic events."
The championships begin Wednesday in Meiringen, Switzerland.
SNOWBOARD CROSS: It appears America owns the snowboard cross, a blend of snowboarding and moto-cross racing.
The United States snagged both golds in the Grand Prix event in Sunday River, Maine, this week. Ryan Nepture of Boise and Brittney Mahanna of Kingfield, Maine, each won their respective boarder cross events.
Jason Brown of Holladay, was 4th among the men qualifiers and finished 5th overall.
LUGE GOLD: Nick Sullivan, 19, saved the best for last. After a mediocre season, in this his last year as a junior, he came through with a double gold in the luge championships held at the Winter Sports Park.
First he won the Junior II (racer to age 20) event, then teamed up with Brian Wohileb of Bath, N.H., to win the doubles.
Zach Lund of Salt Lake City took the silver.
In the Junior I class, Zach Layton of Midvale also went home with a silver.
U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: America's best senior and junior athletes will be in Utah next week for the U.S. National Championships in both alpine and freestyle skiing. This will be the first time events have been held at two of the Olympic venues -- Deer Valley (mogul and freestyle) and Snowbasin (downhill).