Before the drought: Quarter-century ago, Mahre twins won Olympic medals in slalo
2009-11-25 Source：baltimoresun
Before he was an Olympian, much less a gold medalist, Ted Ligety was making precision turns and effortless cutbacks in front of an admiring audience. Phil Mahre was watching and marveled at the kid's grace on skis. And maybe it didn't matter that Ligety was behind a boat, skimming across the surface on water skis. Mahre, a 1984 Olympic champion, was hosting younger members of the U.S. ski team a few years back at his place in Yakima, Wash. Nothing fancy, just a chance to get to know the up-and-comers, perhaps even serve as a mentor. And Ligety was carving up Mahre's private lake. If Ligety could do that on water, Mahre wondered, just how good could he become on snow? Could Ligety become an Olympic slalom champion? Mahre certainly wouldn't mind a little company. He and his twin brother, Steve, who took silver that year in Sarajevo, are the last Americans to win a medal in the Olympic slalom, a distinction they're reminded of every four years. Phil Mahre thinks the Vancouver Olympics provide the perfect backdrop to end that drought. "It would be great to see someone come along and better what I did," Mahre said. "That would be exciting." Ligety and Bode Miller have a legitimate shot to capture gold in the slalom, just as Mahre did a quarter-century ago. "Half my lifetime ago," Mahre said. "But that's something you'll always cherish." It was made all the more memorable by the fact he shared the moment with his brother. Not only that, but Phil Mahre's son, Alex, was born that very day. Talk about hitting the lottery. "Only race I know the date of," Mahre said, laughing. The brothers were destined to be ski racers. Either that or fruit farmers. They picked apples on their family's orchard in Ellensburg, Wash., until their father sold the struggling business in favor of a position at a ski resort. It wasn't long before they set up makeshift slalom courses on the slopes, racing each other well into the night with dim street lights off in the distance illuminating the way. They pushed each other, motivated each other all the way to the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. There, the Mahres had their majestic moment on the mountain. They still get asked about the race, always willing to relive the experience. When the brothers host skiers at their ski camp each winter in Deer Valley, Utah, they show footage from their medal-winning runs. That day in Sarajevo, Phil Mahre turned in a solid final run, gliding down the slopes as if he were back at White Pass Resort as a kid. Still, he was resigned to winning silver, especially with Steve Mahre in the lead and yet to go. His brother was skiing so efficiently. Steve, however, had a few snags in his run and Phil moved into the lead. "That moment is still with me," said Phil Mahre, who's older than Steve by four minutes. "Olympic gold medalist? That's a tag you'll have throughout your life." (Edit:Ruby) |
