Robbins Nest: Fractions of a second in Sapporo

It’s been 35 years since the Nordic World Championships were held in Japan. In those days, major championships were something for even-numbered years — the Olympics every four years, doubling as worlds, and the worlds by themselves in the in-between, even-numbered years.

IT'S BEEN 35 YEARS since the Nordic World Championships were held in Japan. In those days, major championships were something for even-numbered years — the Olympics every four years, doubling as worlds, and the worlds by themselves in the in-between, even-numbered years.
    So, the 1972 Olympics doubled as the World Championships for alpine and Nordic. Barbara Ann Cochran led the first run of slalom and held on to win the gold medal by what stood as the narrowest Olympic alpine margin of victory — two-hundredths of a second — until Picabo Street won the ’98 Olympic super G (also in Nagano, Japan). Her secret (Streetcret?): After conferring with coach Herwig Demschar, she strapped on her silver medal Olympic downhill skis from the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer and captured gold in the ’98 super G by one-hundredth of a second. One-hundredth — try to measure that some time …

TWO FROM '72: But those ’72 Games gave us two other memorable moments — U.S. women cross-country skiers raced in their first Winter Games and Bill Koch, having been beaten for the last Olympic berth on the Nordic combined squad with Joe Lamb getting the last spot (but not getting to compete), decided to chuck the two-sport sport blending jumping and cross-country; instead, he decided to focus on x-c. In addition, Tim Caldwell skied in the first of his four Olympics.
Sapporo, of course, also has a dubious historic footnote: It was to have hosted the 1940 Winter Olympics (where alpine made its debut). However, once Japan invaded China in 1937, it resigned — a curious word — as Olympics host; the Games were given to Germany, which had hosted the ’36 Winter and Summer Olympics. And then Hitler’s Deutschland had to yield the Games when it broke out its own world war playbook.
    But, unlike my marital history, the third time finding a host city wasn’t a charm in this instance. On the second rebound, the IOC awarded the Winter Games to St. Moritz (and the Summer Games were given up by Tokyo and awarded to Helsinki), but then everything crumbled as World War II flared …
    In those ’72 Winter Games, as U.S. x-c women poked their noses into the five-rings parade, the top U.S. cross-country results came, coincidentally, from a woman — Martha Rockwell was 16th in the 10 km, 18th in the 5 km. No classic or freestyle technique in those days (and no sport of freestyle, either), either; it was all what became classic — two skis in prepared tracks…

BACK TO THE FUTURE?: So, now the Nordic worlds are under way on the northern island of Hokkaido (Japanese for “windy jumping hill”) and the feel-good stories started right away. Consider:
    — Hannu Manninen, the towering Finn who had done everything but win an individual medal of any color at the Olympics (going back to ’98 in Nagano) or worlds (back to ’95 at Big Thunder in Thunder Bay — Toonder Bay, eh?, Ontario), churned his way Thursday night to the Nordic combined sprint title. He’s won the last three World Cup crowns and figures to salt this season’s title away, too. And now he’s finally got that all-to-myself individual medal. Just for good measure, he anchored Finland to the team gold Sunday.
    — There are new faces in new places at every major championships. So, just like we met Canadian Chandra Crawford at the Olympics when she took the sprint gold medal (in a skating race), meet Norway’s Astrid Jacobsen, the 20-year-old sprint world champion (in classic technique).
    — There was some magic left Saturday night in “Harry Potter,” i.e., Swiss jumper Simon Ammann, who — when he put on his glasses to accept his two gold medals at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City — looked like he was answering a casting call for young Potter. The Olympic success built expectations that he couldn’t match, but Ammann has resolutely stuck to making himself a better jumper, and the payoff Saturday night was pretty sweet.

SAPPORO ('07) SCANDIDRAMA: Sweden bypassing strong-skating Thobi Fredriksson for the sprint race to open the championships and then having Fredriksson — the 2003 sprint world champion (it was skate race) and bronze medalist a year ago in the Olympic sprint (ibid.) — call it the worst day of his life and pull out of the championships to fly home from Sapporo. Coach Inge Braaten enjoys stirring the pot; maybe he thinks — as some do — a little turmoil keeps everyone performing at a high level. Perhaps Fredriksson moved his fastest all season in getting to Sapporo airport … Germany’s cross-country star, Tobias Angerer, clinched the 2006 World Cup title before the Olympics (where he struggled) and it looks like he’s doing the same thing this year, salting away the crown before the World Championships open in Japan. Angerer’s victory in a 15 km in China on the eve of worlds — his second of the season but don’t overlook his overall title from the Tour de Ski in January — gave him, presupposing he stays healthy, an almost unstoppable points lead of nearly 300 points. A boost for Angerer: Russian Alexander Legkov, his nearest rival, isn’t a sprinter and two of the final six races are sprints … and a further confidence boost came Saturday when he was silver medalist in the pursuit …

TRAVELOGUE: Another reason to love the International Herald Tribune: is it the only paper, that still runs Calvin and Hobbes? … Monday’s not the day to visit Old Town, on that island in Stockholm Harbor — Nobel Museum is closed, for one thing, and so’s the Royal Palace with its 600 rooms (not that the royal family lives there anymore, even if it’s still the family’s official residence although they’ve moved to Drottningholm Palace outside the city) … but perhaps the biggest surprise was that the palace’s gift shop was closed when the palace was closed; surprised to see a gift shop at a major tourist magnet closed …

Let’s not forget the freestyle world championships are just around the bend. KO’d in January because of no snow in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy, they’re on tap March 8-11 — but there won’t be any skier halfpipe. Huh? They had enough snow to make a snowboardcross course but not enough for a superpipe?…That mid-course correction Sunday at Apex in western Canada by “Speedy” Peterson to unfurl his mega-twist “Hurricane” jump — and stick it in screwy winds and snowfall — will be a confidence boost as he heads to Madonna and should be giving the other guys some heartburn … Bummer Department: defending moguls world champ Hannah Kearney is home in Norwich, Vermont, nursing her left knee after ACL surgery last week …

FAREWELL, ÅRE: As an update to the toilets turmoil mentioned in the last column, let it be noted that the porta-potties, which froze at the alpine worlds in Åre early later thawed as heaters were installed. In fact, of course, they became (ahem) the best seat in the house. As Christa Riepe, women’s team physio/trainer, said with a wide smile, “Those heaters are great. We need them at the start of every World Cup race”… Organizers claimed the alpine worlds were the largest winter event held in Sweden, but with an announced crowd of not quite 100,000 over the duration of the races, it doesn’t come close to the throngs who attended the 1993 Nordic worlds in Falun, not close at all …

One of the most joyous moments in sports comes with the “Local kid makes good” element. Think Val d’Isere’s Jean Claude Killy winning triple gold at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, Alberto Tomba winning in Sestriere (only six times) or Janica Kostelic coming home to Zagreb from the 2002 Winter Games with all those medals.
    But bulletproof Anja Paerson, winning three gold medals at “home” during the 2007 alpine worlds left everyone in the dust. No, it wasn’t Thomas Alsgaard winning a surprise gold in the men’s 30 km to open the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer before the mega-crowds of Norwegians. And, OK, having “Ross the Boss” lead that halfpipe medals sweep by U.S. riders in 2002 would have to be on any “podium” for over-the-top “home” joy. But Paerson’s pulsating podium performances pounded previous (need a word beginning with P in here, but you get the idea). She was over-the-moon unreal in dealing with the pressure of racing at home. And her running belly-flop after each win is such a joyous signature move. In an era when athletes too often are petulant, money-grubbing and spoiled (think NBA, our national entitlement league), Paerson oozes joy and sunshine. As gracious (usually) when she loses as when she wins, she’s such an enjoyable pick-me-up. Carl XVI Gustaf is the Swedish king, Silvia is the queen … and these days, Anja Paerson trumps all. Sweden is hers …

ANOTHER GOLD FOR SHRED?: Olympic combined king Ted “Shred” Ligety may have put himself in line for some kind of sportsmanship award. Bummed about a lackluster downhill run Feb. 8 in the front end of the super combined at worlds, Ligety was in his signature high-octane, cojones-to-the-wall, all-out slalom run when he had to slam on the brakes at the bottom of the hill because a course worker hadn’t gotten out of the way. And if he somehow avoided that worker, Ligety would’ve clipped another one just below him. He took a snowmobile back to the top for a re-start, but the snowmobile couldn’t make it, so he had to catch another snow-machine taxi and when he finally got his re-run, he soared off-course near the bottom. Ligety, known for his intensity in every run — “Ted trains like he’s racing, like he’s in the second run chasing gold,” says coach Mike Morin — and understandably miffed over the proceedings, shrugged off his Åre two-step with uncommon graciousness: “Well, I wasn’t in the running for a medal, anyway, so … ” When the two-legged speed bump came over to apologize for his snafu, and for possibly costing him an outside chance at the bronze medal, Ligety reached out to shake his hand. 

TIP FOR WALKING ON ICE: Just like skiing, keep yourself up and your hips over your feet (skis) and don’t get “in the backseat.” That weight shift forward helps prevent having your tootsies run out from under you … and may save a nasty tumble.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Swedish meatballs, bland and unchallenging as they are, will never replace crispy bacon for breakfast (or any other meal) …