World Cup Freestyle
The event: The Gateway Freestyle Challenge
The venue: Deer Valley Resort
The competitions: Aerials and moguls
The runs: White Owl (aerials) and Champion (moguls)
The cost: Free to the public, although spectators should realize that the viewing area requires about a half-hour walk up snowy slopes from the resort base.
Friday, Jan. 5
Women's aerials qualifying, 10:15 a.m.
Men's aerials qualifying, 1 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6
Aerials finals, noon
Awards ceremony, 4 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 7
Moguls qualifying, 10 a.m.
Moguls finals, 1:15 p.m.
Awards ceremony, 4 p.m.
Who to watch for the USA: The Park City pair of Eric Bergoust and Joe Pack have combined to win all three World Cup men's aerials events so far this season. Bergoust is the defending Olympic gold medalist and current World Cup overall leader, while Pack finished third in last year's overall standings. Olympic moguls champions Jonny Mosely (1998) and Donna Weinbrecht (1992) are hoping to display golden form.
Who's missing: If you're hoping to watch Park City's Nikki Stone, the defending Olympic champion in women's aerials, she's retired from international competition. Also, Ann Battelle, last year's World Cup overall champion in women's moguls, is out nursing a shoulder injury.
Who to watch from the international field: Janne Latela of Finland was last year's World Cup overall winner in men's moguls, with Canada's Nicolas Fontaine earning the same honor in men's aerials. Australia's Jacqui Cooper followed her 2000 overall title in women's aerials with a two-event sweep Down Under to start the 2000-2001 season. And Norway's Kari Traa, last year's overall winner in women's dual moguls, could benefit from Battelle's absence in the moguls.
FIS 2000-2001 World Cup Rankings
Men's aerials
Top 10 rankings — after three events
Rank, name, nation (points)
1. Eric Bergoust, USA (296)
2. Steve Omischl, Canada (264)
3. Andy Capicik, Canada (256)
4. Brian Currutt, USA (240)
5. Joe Pack, USA (224)
6. Dmitri Dashinski, Belarus (192)
7. Nicolas Fontaine, Canada (184)
8. Ales Valenta, Czech Republic (168)
9. Britt Swartley, USA (144)
10. Alexei Grichin, Belarus (160)
Women's aerials
Top 10 rankings — after three events
Rank, name, nation (points)
1. Jacqui Cooper, Australia (292)
2. Veronika Bauer, Canada (264)
3. Alla Tsuper, Belarus (244)
4. Brenda Petzold, USA (240)
5. Tatyana Kozachenko, Ukraine (224)
6. Diedra Dionne, Canada (212)
7. Alisa Camplin, Australia (208)
8. Hilde Synnove Lid, Norway (184)
9. Kayo Henmi, Japan (184)
10. Kelly Hilliman, USA (172)
Men's moguls
Top 5 rankings — after one event
1. Janne Lahtela, Finland (100)
2. Sami Mustonen, Finland (96)
3. Tapio Luusua, Finland (92)
4. Vitali Glushenko, Russia (88)
5. Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau, Canada (84)
Women's moguls
Top 5 rankings — after one event
1. Kari Traa, Norway (100)
2. Aiko Uemura, Japan (96)
3. Berenice Gregoire, France (92)
4. Elena Varona, Russia (88)
5. Sara Kjellin, Sweden (84)
Final 2000 Freestyle World Cup standings
Top three, with other Americans in Top 10
Men's moguls
1. Janne Lahtela, Finland
2. Sami Mustonen, Finland
3. Pierre-Alexandre Rousseau, Canada
5. Alex Wilson, USA
7. Evan Dybvig, USA
Men's aerials
1. Nicolas Fontaine, Canada
2. Alexei Grichin, Belarus
3. Joe Pack, USA
9. Britt Swartley, USA
Women's moguls
1. Ann Battelle, USA
2. Marja Elfman, Sweden
3. Sandra Schmitt, Germany
Women's aerials
1. Jacqui Cooper, Australia
2. Vernoica Brenner, Canada
3. Hilde Synnove Lid, Norway
8. Brenda Petzold, USA
AERIALS GLOSSARY
Triple jumps
Randy - A flip with two and a half twists.
Rudy - A flip with one and a half twists.
Triple tuck - Triple flip in the tuck position.
Lay tuck tuck - Triple flip, first in layout position, second and third in tuck position.
Lay tuck full - Triple flip, first in layout position, second in tuck position, third in layout position with a full twist.
Lay full tuck - Triple flip, first in layout position, second laid out with a full twist, third in the tuck position without a twist.
Lay full full - A double-twisting triple flip.
Half tuck half - Three flips with two half twists. The middle flip rotates forward.
Half full full - First flip has a half twist, second flip is rotating forward and has a half twist, and third flip has a full twist.
Half full half - Three flips with two twists, half twists in the first and third flip, a full twist in the second.
Half Rudy full - Half twist in the first flip, one and a half twists in the second flip and full twist in the third flip.
Full tuck full - Three flips with two twists, the second flip is without a twist.
Full full full - Three flips with three twists.
Full double full tuck - Three flips with three twists, the second flip has two twists.
Double full full full - Three flips with four twists. Two twists on the first flip, right off the jump.
Half Randy full - Three flips with five twists.
Full double full double full - Three flips with five twists.
Source: USSA