truebluefan

Defending moguls champion Dale Begg-Smith and former Russian speed skater Tatiana Borodulina are Australia's big medal hopes for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

Begg-Smith, 25, became Australia's first male to win an Olympic Winter Games skiing gold medal at Torino four years ago in the freestyle event and is fighting his way back from a knee reconstruction.

The Australian produced close to a perfect run in the final of the moguls to eclipse Finland's Mikko Ronkainen and American Toby Dawson in one of the most competitive events at the Torino Games.

But the three-time World Cup champion's hopes of competing in Vancouver looked doomed when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament at a World Cup meet at the Salt Lake Olympic course last January forcing him to undergo extensive knee surgery.

Fears that Begg-Smith would struggle to recapture his best form disappeared when he finished just off the podium in his two event return to the World Cup circuit in Finland in December.

"The knee is strong, getting better and is close to 100 percent," Australia's moguls coach Steve Desovich said.

"Dale has made an amazing comeback to competition and with more events and competition runs under his belt he should improve as the season wears on."

Borodulina, 25, who reached the final of the 1 500m for Russia at the last Olympic Games, will be eligible to compete for Australia at the Vancouver Games after becoming a citizen last September.

In her debut season for her country, Borodulina skated to bronze in the 500m in Salt Lake City and also amassed a series of other top ten results.

Borodulina has qualified Australian places for all three short track distances at Vancouver following the completion of the North American leg of the World Cup season.

Torah Bright (snowboarding), Jacqui Cooper and Lydia Lassila (aerial skiing) along with Begg-Smith and Borodulina head the hopes of a contingent that looks to have the most depth of any Australian team at a Olympic Winter Games.

Australia have won three gold medals at the Olympic Winter Games -- short track speed skater Steven Bradbury the last man standing after the final bend of the 1000m and aerial skier Alisa Camplin, both at Salt Lake in 2002 and Begg-Smith in 2006.

In stark contrast to the huge national appetite for the Olympic Summer Games, there is minimal public interest for Winter Games, attributable to the Australian sporting culture, temperate climate and... a general lack of snow.

__________________
UFC 112: Invincible