Timely snowfalls

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 24

Timely snowfalls

The big United States ski team might have called off its trip to' New Zealand for the Europa F.I.S. series had it not been for the timely snowfalls last week-end. When the 15 ski racers arrived in Christchurch last night the men’s downhill coach, Jim Barrows, said that one of the assistant coaches had been sent out earlier to “check things out.”

Fortunately the “spy” timed his visit just when the snow finally fell after a long dry period and his report back was a positive one. “If his report had not been favourable, we would have had to look at it (the trip) pretty closely,” Mr Barrows said.

Like the Canadians who arrived three days earlier, the American ski team usually spends its summer training in South America but New Zealand “looked like the best shot” in preparing for the Lake Placid

(Winter Olympics next February, according to Mr Barrows. Asked about the cost of travelling halfway across the world to train and race in New Zealand, Mr Barrows said he couldn’t give an exact figure because of the number of service personnel. “But it would be $60,000 to $70,000, I'm sure.” “We’re looking for our training here to substantially help us — particularly the younger kids — in our goal.” Missing from the original team list vvas one racer with very low downhill points, Doug Powell, who has knee problems. But the men’s best known downhiller, Andy Mill, was among the group, waving a fishing rod which he obviously intends to put to good use during his twaweek stay. Mill, sixth at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics, has had a couple of lean seasons but Mr Barrows is looking for

him to start his comeback in New Zealand. Mike Farney, aged 19, is one of the more promising members — “It’s the first opportunity for us. to work a whole year with him.” The coach of the United States ' women’s A team, Herman Goellner, said that the contingent basically’ came to find winter conditions and “get a new experience” from Argentina or Chile. He said that Cindy 1 Nelson, a downhill bronze medallist at Innsbruck, was very strong medal contender for the next Olympics and there were also three or four prospects in slalom and two or three in giant slalom. The downhill specialists among the women will stayin New Zealand for a week after the series ends on August 2 and train either at Mount Hutt or Turoa. The slalom and giant-slalom racers will cross the Tasman for the Australian F.I.S. series.