Team Opens Olympic Competition Sunday

2006 Torino Olympics

Sat, Feb  11, 2006 - By US Ski Team

PRAGELATO, Italy (Feb. 11) - The U.S. Cross Country Ski Team begins its Olympic medal competition Sunday with the 15k Women's Pursuit and the Men's 30k Pursuit.

The women's race starts at 10 a.m. with the men's to follow at 1:45 p.m.

The four-member U.S. women's squad consists of Rebecca Dussault (25, Gunnison, CO), Abigail Larson (26, Bozeman, MT), Lindsey Weier (21, Mahtomedi, MN) and Lindsay Williams (21, Hastings, MN).

Competing on the men's side will be Lars Flora (28, Anchorage, AK), Andrew Johnson (28, Greensboro, VT), James Southam (27, Anchorage, AK) and Carl Swenson (35, Park City, UT).

The Cross Country Pursuit consists of two races in one day. The women ski a pair of 7.5ks, while the men double up on 15ks. The racers start in classic technique and switch to freestyle midway through, changing their equipment in a mid-race "pit stop".