PARALYMPICS: Laurie Stephens wins GS silver, third medal of Games

PARALYMPICS: Laurie Stephens wins GS silver, third medal of Games{mosimage}Laurie Stephens celebrated St. Patrick’s day by winning her third medal of the IX Paralympic Games a silver in the GS.

Following her first run, Stephens stood in third place. In a solid second run, she made up time, finishing only .08 seconds behind Kuniko Obinata of Japan.

Obinata has been challenging Stephens all season, finishing second to Stephens’ first place GS title in the most recent World Cup season.

Adding today’s medal to the golds she won earlier this week in the sitting downhill and sitting super G events Stephens is the biggest contributor to the U.S. alpine team’s five medals.

‘It’s all just happening so fast’ Stephens said. ‘I wasn’t really expecting it. I just go out there and ski the best that I can.’

Chris Devlin-Young, who won a silver medal in the men’s sitting downhill, just missed the podium in the men’s sitting GS race with a fourth-place finish today.

‘My first run was good and very solid. I was fast but didn’t push it to the edge’ said Devlin-Young. ‘I took a lot of chances in the second run. Some came back and bit me.’

Stephani Victor also finished in fourth place. ‘Fourth place is tough’ she said. ‘I had some problems on the first run that cost me.’

At his first Paralympic Winter Games, 19-year-old Tyler Walker had a good showing in today’s GS. Though he said he held back too much in the first run, the New Hampshire native felt stronger and faster in the second run.

‘I gave it what I had’ Walker said. ‘It got a little wild a few times and I had to recover.’

Walker has not yet medaled at these Games, but he is a competitor to watch. ‘I proved in the World Cup that I’m one of the best skiers in the world’ Walker said, referring to his current title in the World Cup Men’s sitting GS rankings.

The standing Slalom competition takes place Saturday, March 18, starting at 10 a.m.

On the men’s side, watch for Americans Clay Fox, Monte Meier and Brad Washburn to possibly reach the podium. For the women, Allison Jones (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Sandy Dukat (Vail, Colo.) are also strong medal contenders.

The men’s and women’s mono-skiers and visually impaired racers will compete in the Slalom, the final event of the Games, on Sunday, March 19.

– USOC

IX PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
Sestriere Borgata, Italy March 17, 2006

Women’s Giant Slalom (Sitting)
1. Laurie Stephens (Wenham, Mass.) 1:19.16
2. Kuniko Obinata (JPN) 1:22.22
3. Kimberley Joines (CAN) 1:23.04
4. Stephani Victor (Park City, Utah) 1:23.44
– – –
8. Lacey Heward (Boise, Idaho) 1:27.60

Men’s Giant Slalom (Visually Impaired)
1. Nicolas Berejny (FRA) 1:50.66
Guide: Sophie Troc
2. Gianmaria Dal Maistro (ITA) 1:52.77
Guide: Tommaso Balasso
3. Eric Villalon (ESP) 1:54.02
Guide: Hodei Yurrita
– – –
8. Andy Parr (Rockland, Maine) 2:04.01
Guide: A.K. Walker (Waterville Valley, N.H.)

Men’s Giant Slalom (Sitting)
1. Martin Braxenthaler (GER) 1:50.83
2. Taiki Morii (JPN) 1:52.44
3. Juergen Egle (AUT) 1:52.79
4. Chris Devlin-Young (Campton, N.H.) 1:55.37
– – –
6. Tyler Walker (Franconia, N.H.) 1:56.18
– – –
20. Gerald Hayden (Fresno, Calif.) 2:06.10
– – –
22. Carl Burnett (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) 2:06.85
23. Roger Lee (Winter Park, Colo.) 2:07.04
– – –
25. John Knudsen (American Canyon, Calif.) 2:07.56
– – –
33. Erik Bayindirli (Deer Valley, Utah) 2:15.85
34. Nick Catanzarite (Winter Park, Colo.) 2:16.35
– – –
37. Joe Tompkins (Juneau, Alaska) 2:20.16