STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. ? Denver native Emiko Torito finished so strong as a junior, with a gold and silver medal, that she felt something huge was about to happen for her as a freestyle skier.
But the success she'd felt was imminent didn't come in the four World Cup competitions she skied in last season. In fact, she never even made the finals in singles competition, and seventh was the best she managed in dual moguls, where skiers race head to head.
"I think I sensed (success) coming last year," said the 19-year-old Denver native, who now calls Steamboat Springs home. "But it didn't come. It was a little disappointing because I thought I was better than that."
But on a weekend when the World Cup podium in Steamboat seemed dominated by newcomers, Torito found success. She finished fourth in the singles competition on Friday and second in the dual moguls on Saturday. Torito had to beat the world's best female moguls skier and winner of Friday's singles, Kari Traa of Norway, to get into the finals. Then Torito was barely beaten by another newcomer, Germany's Christine Gerg.
"I was a little surprised about (beating Traa)," she said. "I feel great."
Torito was ecstatic about her performance during the weekend competition, and when asked if she thought about skiing moguls in the Olympics, she smiled and said, "I've been dreaming about the Olympics since I was 8. . . . But I have to keep tunnel vision and focus on my skiing, and I have to continue to work hard. But this builds confidence."
As for Gerg, a former Alpine skier who started competing in Freestyle in 1996, it was her first win on the World Cup Tour. At the beginning of the day's final run, she said she was thinking of absolutely nothing.
"It was just perfect to be in the finals," she said. "I just gave it my best."
She said she had a horrible week of training leading up to the races with her trainer telling her she had to get faster. She was the first racer across the finish line in every race Saturday.
"I just hope I can do this in singles," she said. Dual moguls is not an Olympic sport, while singles is. "It's crazy. I was really surprised (to do so well) . . . It's good for confidence because I know I can do a final. And it's good for my trainer also."
Canada's Tami Bradley beat Traa to finish third in the consolation race.
The men competed just before the women, and again it was young, inexperienced racers knocking off the world's best. Richard Gay of France said the win helped him get over being in the worst position ?13th when only the top 12 make finals.
"I had very good training," Gay said. "It is my first win. I've only been second or third place, and fourth six or seven times. It's hard to say (how it feels). It's really new. I'll realize it later, but I'm very happy about the day."
Gay defeated one of the world's best mogul skiers in Finland's Janne Lahtela. Stephane Rochon, from Canada, beat Lahtela's teammate, Sami Mustonen, to add a bronze medal to the gold in the singles competition.
The best U.S. skier for the men was Garth Hager, who finished sixth. Three of the U.S. Ski Team's men didn't compete in dual moguls after having great finishes Friday in singles races.
E-mail: adonaldson@desnews.com