McKee's McThoughts: Aamodt truly worthy of gold

I was conversationally cornered a ways back by a nice enough guy, except he was standing between me and the food table.
    He asked a one-word non-question but seemed to want an answer anyway: "Aamodt?"
    I looked him square, turned and identified BBQ brisket steaming on the table: "medals."
    Sometimes it's best to keep things simple.
    There is a lot to say about Aamodt. But always, for all time, it will come back to the medals.

I WAS CONVERSATIONALLY cornered a ways back by a nice enough guy, except he was standing between me and the food table.
    He asked a one-word non-question but seemed to want an answer anyway: "Aamodt?"
    I looked him square, turned and identified BBQ brisket steaming on the table: "medals."
    Sometimes it's best to keep things simple.
    There is a lot to say about Aamodt. But always, for all time, it will come back to the medals.
    Kjetil Andre Aamodt meant more to ski sport than medals. Not only did he teach us how to pronounce Kjetil (which I still have occasional problems with), but together with Lasse Kjus and no doubt a concerted effort behind them, they rebuilt Norwegian alpine skiing; From the ground up to powerhouse.
    By force of finance, Norway has had small teams. From the time Aamodt and Kjus made their first World Cup appearances, there were already more and better athletes being attracted to the program. The overspill fueled the pro circuits. Today the team is still small, but Aksel Lund Svindal leads the World Cup standings. Put that up there above medals on the list: changes the course of racing in their country.
    See, that's even more rare than medal winning. Altering the state of your sport in your state.
    Best part is, the two, inseparable in any racing conversation, Kjus and Aamodt always enjoyed themselves, various illnesses and injuries notwithstanding. They raced because they liked to race, and that is also more important than medals. At least it should be.
    They started as intertwined as twins, with Aamodt's dad as coach. A couple of pretty gangly kids, training harder than anyone else and kicking age-group butt. They were having a blast. They each — both Aamodt and Kjus — won five World Junior Championships medals, Aamodt three golds and two silvers; Kjus one gold, two silver and two bronze. In one meet, two guys, 10 of 15 available medals.
    See what I mean about medals? They keep coming up.
    It was a couple of years later when they started bringing in World Cup wins. Aamodt's first was a super G at Aspen in March 1992. Kjus' first was the Hahnenkamm trophy for combined in '94.
    This brings up another measure of greatness: longevity.
    No matter how you add the years, both guys had careers at the top of the game for well over a decade. In any sport, a decade plus at the top gets taken to consideration by the Hall of Fame committee.
    Their World Cup records would have been significantly better — we can argue — if each of those years had as many combineds scheduled as the five this season. Throughout the careers, the Norwegians basically had combineds at Kitzbuehel and Wengen … with an occasional one at Chamonix. Aamodt won four at Kitzbuehel, two in Wengen and two at Chamonix. … Kjus won three at Kitzbuehel, one at Wengen. Together that's seven Hahnenkamm trophies, and there aren't too many places you can find that many on the mantel.
    OK, by the stats, Aamodt had 21 Cup wins, and 64 podiums. Kjus added 18 wins, 61 podiums. By superstar standards, all-time big guy on the block measure, these aren't all that good. Not even top 10. … Bode's got more wins and he's still skiing.
    But measure by sheer natural ability, by adaptability, by any other yardsticks, and bigger skiers materialize. For instance, Aamodt won World Cup races in all disciplines. There aren't 10 guys on that list. It also highlights the attitude: Any race, any time, bring it on.
    Especially if it counts.
    Ahh, the final measure of greatness: the ability to produce when it counts; With titles on the line. Doing the do in those career-defining moments. Here come those medals.
    Let's start with Olympics, once every four years.
    Aamodt collected two medals in 1992, in Albertville, France: Gold in SG, bronze in GS. In '94, at Lillehammer, he added four more: silver in downhill and combined, bronze in GS and SG. At Salt Lake add two more, gold in combined and SG. And last season, the amazing Mr. Aamodt got another in super G, narrowly missing one in downhill as well. It was the only race he was to win all season. Add those up and get eight, two more than any other skier in alpine history. Kjus, by the way, with five, is tied for third on the all-time list. Every other superstar is beneath these guys on that list. Alberto Tomba, Hanni Wenzel, Jean-Claude Killy, all of them.
    World Championships, which happen with twice the regularity, are equally impressive. Aamodt has a dozen FIS medals. Only Cristl Cranz, who skied in the hazy pre-pubescent days of the sport spanning 1934 through 1939, had more. The great Marc Girardelli and who else but Kjus each tallied 11. Pirmin Zurbriggen: nine. Emile Allais: eight. Marielle Goitschl: eight. Annemarie Moser-Proell: six. Superstars go their entire careers without needing a second hand to count their medals. Aamodt and Kjus need to take their shoes off.
    Add Olympics and World Championships medals together and the totals get ridiculous.
    Let's recap shall we?
    Introducing the world to native culture, check. Change the face of skiing in your country, check. Longevity, check. Attitude, check. Best all-time in medal count, check.
    Gentlemen, take a well-deserved break.
    Norway; be proud.