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Correction to This Article
A Feb. 17 Sports column incorrectly said that U.S. skeleton racer Katie Uhlaender's father, Ted, was a major league pitcher. He was an outfielder.

In U.S. Skeleton, It's Survival of the Smartest, Healthiest, Cleanest . . .

Switzlerland's Maya Pedersen, a two-time world champion who finished fifth in the Salt Lake City Games, puts on a dominant performance, completing her two runs in 1 minute 59.83 seconds.
Switzlerland's Maya Pedersen, a two-time world champion who finished fifth in the Salt Lake City Games, puts on a dominant performance, completing her two runs in 1 minute 59.83 seconds. (By Fabrizio Bensch -- Reuters)
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By Mike Wise
Friday, February 17, 2006

CESANA, Italy

Lamenting the lack of a large talent pool for her sport, Lea Ann Parsley, the silver medalist in the skeleton at the 2002 Salt Lake Games, made a recruiting pitch in the Italian Alps Thursday: "If your kids like water slides or roller coasters, call 1-800-BOBSLED."

She was only partly joking. Her sport could use some help: The U.S. skeleton team in Turin resembles the after photo in an avalanche. After all the debris removal, one woman was left sliding. Katie Uhlaender, the pride of Breckenridge, Colo., a 5-foot-3 fireplug who finished sixth in the women's skeleton final, completing both her runs in a combined time of 2:02.30. The daughter of former major league outfielder Ted Uhlaender, Katie got here by:

1. Not being suspended amid sexual harassment allegations, like her former coach Tim Nardiello.

2. Not failing a drug test for using a hair-replacement product, like her teammate on the men's side, Zach Lund, who was booted hours before the Opening Ceremonies.

3. She was lucky enough not to break her leg in training like Noelle Pikus-Pace, who was hit by a bobsled last October and failed to earn a spot on the Olympic team.

Sex. Hair-replacing drugs. Freak accidents. Team Tabloid just couldn't win.

"After we got taken out by the bobsled, it was like, wow, this is going to be an interesting season," Parsley said.

Uhlaender had but two years of experience in the skeleton, and gold medalist, Maya Pedersen of Switzerland, had 10 years of skittering down a mountain at nearly 80 miles per hour on a sled weighing about 90 pounds. She was 2.47 seconds faster in her two runs than Uhlaender.

Most of the steering in skeleton is done with the legs. It's like yoga on a boogie board. The trick for better control, after a frantic push-off and jump onto the sled, is to keep the feet together and the head down.

When it comes to U.S. skeleton, keeping your nose clean is also recommended.

Weeks after Pikus-Pace's injury, the mother of Tristan Gale, the gold medalist in Salt Lake City, sent a letter to the sport's federation, accusing Nardiello of sexually harassing her daughter.


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