It was a memorable week at the Vancouver Olympics for some Vermonters, including Hannah Kearney, who won the gold medal in the women’s mogul competition. And we heard from Vermonters inspired by the Winter Games.
These were some of the voices in the news this week.
VT Edition: School is Successful Nordic Skiing Training Ground
(Mount Mansfield Union High School Nordic team head coach Eric Barker) “When people think of classical skiing, they think of two tracks in parallel. You know, moon over the terrain. And the skis are a little bit longer. The poles are a little bit shorter. It’s a motion kind of like you’re running and you’re trying to get that glide when you’re running. In skating, the skis are shorter and the poles reach right up to your nose and they give you that ability to push off over a longer distance. In classical skiing, it’s more short and snappy and in skating it’s longer push offs and trying to glide as far as you can.”
Patrick Garrity From The Olympic Games
(Patrick Garrity, Burlington Free-Press) “Vermont could have a pile of medals on their own. Hannah Teter and Kelly Clark are both going in the women’s half pipe. Hannah Teter’s from Belmont. Kelly Clark grew up in West Dover. She rode at Mount Snow. Hannah Kearney’s already got a medal. Vermont could have more medals than most of the countries here, for crying out loud. I would be surprised if they didn’t, really because they’re that good and they’re that out in front of the competition.”
VT Edition: Costume Can Make Or Break A Skater
(Wanda Barrett, skating mom) “Well, I think it gives the child more confidence in their presentation, and it shows in the skating. When they feel good about what they’re wearing, they just glow.”
Kearney Says Gold Medal Is “Beautiful”
(Norwich Olympian Hannah Kearney) “It sinks in slowly and piece by piece. I’ll be driving through the city and hear something about a gold medal and I like almost tear up, in the fact that I have one. I’ll hear something that’s unrelated to my sport and I just realize that I’m a part of that. I’m staring at the medal across the room right now. It’s hanging up in my room in the Athlete’s Village and it is beautiful.”