We realize this news is already two days old, but for the sake of history we’re going to list it out here again for those who haven’t been paying attention. This is the official USA Olympic Team for Halfpipe and Slopestyle:
Halfpipe Men
Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA),
Danny Davis (Truckee, CA),
Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA).
Halfpipe Women:
Kelly Clark (W. Dover, VT),
Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID)
Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO)
Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT).
Slopestyle Men
Shaun White,
Sage Kotsenburg (Park City, UT)
Chas Guldemond (Reno, NV).
Ryan Stassel, (Anchorage, AK)
Slopestyle Women:
Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, CA)
Ty Walker (Stowe, VT).
Jessika Jensen, (Rigby, ID)
Karly Shorr, (Truckee, CA)
You’ll note that Louie Vito, Gretchen Bleiler, and Scotty Lago are not on the list. Here’s what the USSA coach has to say about those who made the team:
“We saw some amazing performances by these riders with a blend of veterans and newcomers landing next-level runs,” said USSA Head Slope and Halfpipe Coach Mike Jankowski. “To have nine of 11 spots come down to the final weekend of qualifying shows the true depth of U.S. Snowboarding.
Yeah, either that or the fact that 60 percent of the qualifying events were held on the “final weekend.” For the official word from the USSA follow the jump.
Olympic Snowboarding Team Announced
PARK CITY, UT (Jan. 19) – The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced the nomination of 13 halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding athletes Sunday afternoon at the conclusion of the Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix. Slopestyle snowboarding will be contested in the Olympic Winter Games for the first time ever in Sochi. The five event qualifying series came down to the final stop at Mammoth Mountain, with all but two spots decided during the final event weekend. The formal naming of the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team by the United States Olympic Committee is set for Jan. 27.
HIGHLIGHTS
The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association announced the nomination of 13 halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarding athletes to compete in in the Olympic Winter Games.
The nominated athletes were announced after the five-event Sprint U.S. Snowboarding Grand Prix, which culminated in a trio of competitions at Mammoth Mountain.
Halfpipe athletes selected include, men: Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Danny Davis (Truckee, CA), Taylor Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Shaun White (Carlsbad, CA). Women: Kelly Clark (W. Dover, VT), Kaitlyn Farrington (Sun Valley, ID) Arielle Gold (Steamboat Springs, CO) and Hannah Teter (Belmont, VT).
The team includes three Olympic champions including Clark (gold 2002, bronze 2010), Teter (gold 2006) and White (gold 2006, 2010).
Athletes qualifying in the new Olympic event of slopestyle snowboarding include, men: White, Sage Kotsenburg (Park City, UT) and Chas Guldemond (Reno, NV). Women: Jamie Anderson (S. Lake Tahoe, CA) and Ty Walker (Stowe, VT).
Slopestyle snowboarding will make its debut as the opening event of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, with men’s qualifying February 6 and finals on the first medals day, February 8.
Mammoth Mountain has played an historic role in the history of Olympic snowboarding, playing host to the original trials that sent athletes to the 1998 Olympic debut of snowboarding.
The USSA is expected to announce additional nominations in slopestyle pending final quota allocations in the coming week, as well as for other snowboarding events.
The U.S. Olympic Committee will formally name the 2014 U.S. Olympic Team on January 27.
2014 OLYMPIC HALFPIPE AND SLOPESTYLE NOMINATIONS
NOTE: Additional slopestyle athletes may be added.
Men’s Halfpipe
Greg Bretz, Mammoth Lakes, CA (12/19/1990) *
Danny Davis, Truckee, CA (6/22/1988)
Taylor Gold, Steamboat Springs, CO (11/17/1993)
Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA (9/3/1986) *
Women’s Halfpipe
Kelly Clark, W. Dover, VT (7/26/1983) *
Kaitlyn Farrington, Sun Valley, ID (12/18/1989)
Arielle Gold, Steamboat Springs, CO (5/4/1996)
Hannah Teter, Belmont, VT (1/27/1987) *
Men’s Slopestyle
Sage Kotsenburg, Park City, UT (7/27/1993)
Chas Guldemond, Reno, NV (4/22/1987)
Shaun White, Carlsbad, CA (9/3/1986)
Women’s Slopestyle
Jamie Anderson, S. Lake Tahoe, CA (9/13/1990)
Ty Walker, Stowe, VT (3/03/1997)
* Competed in past Olympics
Official competition uniform: Burton
QUOTES
Jeremy Forster, Director of Freeskiing and Snowboarding, USSA
The five event qualifying series continues to prove its value in bringing out the best in athletes. Thanks to Mammoth Mountain for stepping in to run three events this week, capping it off today with the halfpipe finals live on NBC.
Mike Jankowski, Head Halfpipe and Slopestyle Coach, U.S. Snowboarding
We saw some amazing performances by these riders with a blend of veterans and newcomers landing next-level runs. To have nine of 11 spots come down to the final weekend of qualifying shows the true depth of U.S. Snowboarding. We’re taking an outstanding team to Sochi that’s ready to bring home those medals.
