Rosey Fletcher, of Girdwood, Alaska, carves a turn in the women's giant slalom snowboarding competition Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1998, in Yamanouchi, Japan. Fletcher did not finish the first run.ASSOCIATED PRESS

Snow cookies choke Americans

Web posted February 11, 1998

By Dennis Sodomka
Morris News Service

NAGANO - U.S. women snowboarders choked on an extra helping of snow cookies Tuesday ending American medal hopes in a sport they were expected to dominate.

After all four American women fell on the icy Mt. Yakebitai giant slalom course, they were left to wonder how the U.S. team could get shut out in their own sport. The American men had their own disaster Sunday.

Well, the athletes weren't thinking about it too much, because snowboarders don't seem to worry about much of anything. But others in the U.S. camp were wondering what went wrong. There is, after all, a widespread belief that snowboarding is in the Olympics to give the Americans a better chance to win some medals.

Rosey Fletcher blamed the death cookies, or chunks of ice lying under hard, granular snow, for tripping her and the others.

"On top it was soft and I hit a heel side that was ice and I went, 'whoosh'," she said. "In the whole scheme of things this race won't matter much. Sometimes you're on the edge and you finish, and sometimes you're on the edge and you don't finish.''

Only Sondra Van Ert finished the first run, but after falling she was so far behind she had no chance for a medal in the second run. She finished 12th.

Sandra Van Ert, of Des Moines, Iowa, battles through heavy snow on her way to a 12th place finish in the women's giant slalom snowboarding competition Tuesday, Feb. 10, 1998, in Yamanouchi, Japan.

The medals went to Karine Ruby of France (gold), Heidi Renoth of Germany (silver) and Brigitte Koeck of Austria (bronze).

Four of the first ten women down the course couldn't finish the first run and several others had disastrous slips, a strong indication that conditions were not the best. Snow had been falling for two days and continued to fall during the race, reducing visibility. The Americans didn't blame the snow for their poor performance. In fact, they said the course was in too good a shape after officials watered and boot-packed it.

"Everywhere else we practiced it's ego snow,'' said Betsy Shaw. "On the course I felt like I was hanging on for dear life. And it's not a difficult course.''

"That's the kind of snow we really need,'' said Lisa Kosglow. "But we never get that in a World Cup race. I don't think the sport is being showcased very well. The women aren't that bad. I should have been better than that. Be sure you get in that it was my own fault.'' nThe Americans were trying to live up to their reputations as free spirits, but sometimes the emotions of the moment jumped up like death cookies.

"There is nothing I'd treasure more than a gold medal,'' said Van Ert after her first run. "But just to be a part of the Olympics is really overwhelming. Oh, my God, I'm going to cry.''

The tears welled up and Van Ert had to choke back the emotions as she thought about being in the first Olympics for snowboarding. "I'm not crying because of my performance,'' she said. "This is just really neat. I appreciate everyone who has supported me. Just to be a part of the Olympics is why I wanted to come here.'' She did have one other reason to come to Nagano.

"Yesterday we went out to the monkey park, which is what I really wanted to do,'' said Van Ert.