No one had the day’s first cappuccino before the U.S. Olympic Committee had a controversy in skeleton. The sexual-harassment suit brought against coach Tim Nardiello by two female sliders put the team in a different light than in 2002, when the U.S. won men’s and women’s singles. The women’s gold medalist, Tristan Gale, was one of Nardiello’s accusers. The U.S. could conceivably get shut out this year, but Eric Bernotas and Kevin Ellis finished third and fourth, respectively, on the World Cup circuit.
U.S. Olympic team
Men
Eric Bernotas, 34, Avondale, Pa.
Kevin Ellis, 32, Dallas
Zach Lund, 26, Salt Lake City
Women
Katie Uhlaender, 21, Breckenridge
Sure bet:
Jeff Pain, Canada
Pain won the past two World Cup titles and was the 2005 world champion. He finished in the top five in every race in 2004-05 and in the top six in every race this season, winning twice.
Who to watch:
Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards, Canada
She won two of the seven World Cup races and hasn’t finished lower than third. Her 630 points are only 10 ahead of Maya Pedersen, who won four races. Hollingsworth-Richards nearly quit the sport after missing the 2002 Olympic team’s second spot, which went to rookie Lindsay Alcock, a current teammate.
Maya Pedersen, Switzerland
She also nearly quit the sport, but it was for having a child. After giving birth, she gave the 2004-05 season a try and won four medals and the world title, so she continued under the coaching of her Norwegian husband, Snorre Pedersen. She placed fifth in Salt Lake City.
Gregor Staehli, Switzerland
A star before skeleton became an Olympic sport, he won the 1994 world championship, then retired. He made a comeback when skeleton returned to the Olympics and took silver in the 2000 World Championships and bronze at Salt Lake City. Now 38, this is probably his last competition.
Colorado Connection
Katie Uhlaender, Breckenridge
The 21-year-old daughter of former pro baseball player Ted Uhlaender, the Colorado Mountain College student took up the sport in 2002 after working out in Silverthorne with U.S. bobsledder Sara Sprung, who convinced her to try sliding sports. Uhlaender didn’t know enough to wear a mouthpiece at her first nationals meet in 2003 but is now the three-time U.S. champion.
