Veteran Cook Ready to Soar
PARK CITY, Utah (March 26) - Emily Cook (Belmont, MA) is coming home to the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships in Park City beaming with confidence. And rightly so. The Massachusetts native, who now calls Park City home, returns with a World Cup win her pocket as she seeks her third U.S. aerials title.
Another U.S. title would be yet another step in her heroic comeback from a devastating training crash just prior to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Cook, who had dominated qualifying for the Salt Lake City team, landed short in a training jump in Lake Placid just weeks before opening ceremonies. It was a horrific injury that took her out of the Games and several more seasons. She came back to make the 2006 Olympic Team. Last month she won her first World Cup in front of 30,000 spectators in Moscow, including President Vladimir Putin.
"I have had such a warm response here in Park City to my Moscow win. I had no idea that so many people actually pay attention!" laughed Cook. "It was such a nice acknowledgment and it makes me feel great that it made so many people happy. It's fun to share such a great experience with so many people and to let them know that their support helped me get there."
Aerials is the opening event of the 2008 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at the Utah Olympic Park, the training base for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team. Cook and her teammates log hundreds and hundreds of training jumps every summer in the nearby splash pool. It's critical training for a sport where precision and danger go hand in hand. That summer training prepares athletes to develop the tricks they'll use on-snow in World Cups.
"This was such an incredible season, and so much fun. To me it was a chance to really be competitive on the World Cup tour and a chance to see if I could cut it with a more advanced set of tricks," said Cook. "Next year I will build even more on that adding yet another more difficult trick. This season has really given me the confidence to know that I can do that. I proved to myself this year that I can hold my own out there with the best. It's been so exciting."
Cook has been building her repertoire of tricks with some increasing degree of difficulty (DD). Ironically, what won for her in Moscow was a more conservative second jump - a strategic move by Cook and coaches to address significant weather issues. Cook actually downgraded her DD on that jump, hit it perfectly and out-pointed the World Cup leaders who chose to gamble on tougher maneuvers.
Cook's second jump, a lay-full including two flips with a twist on the second, was executed nearly perfectly to ensure the win. "We had a huge headwind all day and not enough inrun speed," said Cook. "We were just trying to figure out how to get the speed we needed. I had planned on full-double full-full on the second jump. When I headed up, Matt [Christensen, head coach] said we were still on. But at the top, we decided to be smart and make the wise choice. And it worked."
As happy as Cook was with the win, her fans and supporters were elated. The veteran athlete has long been the leader, spokesperson and, ironically, the Team's biggest fan. For Cook, it's never been about her - it's about her team and teammates. And she thrives at an event like the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships where young skiers take on the best in the world.
"I love being on the hill with all of the younger athletes," she said. "They have such a spirit and energy that is contagious. They are all jumping so well - it's great to see. It's been such a fun year and Park City nationals is the perfect place to finish off the season."
Cook will be putting it all on the line in the championship event Thursday after several great days of training. Her likely combo of jumps will include a full-full (two flips with two twists) plus a full-double full (two flips with three twists).
"I am ready to go!" exclaimed Cook. And, you can be sure she will be.
The championship round begins Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Utah Olympic Park. Admission is free for all Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championship events. Awards are in the Town Lift Plaza at 5:30 p.m., followed by live music, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
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