Olympic Skier Ligety Thinks Globally

American Ted Ligety celebrates after winning the World Cup men's giant slalom at Yongpyong Ski Resort in Pyeongchang, east of Seoul, in this March 5, 2006 file photo. Ligety, the Olympic combined gold medalist from Park City, Utah, is worried that greenhouse gas emissions will eventually eliminate skiing altogether and rob future generations of the thrills of winter sports. (AP Photo/ Lee Jin-man, File) (Lee Jin-man - AP)

"We're staying in hotel rooms, changing the linens, we're flying here and there and we're driving everywhere. We are using amazing amounts of fuel and resources," Nyman said. "So, it's tough for us to talk as skiers traveling the world."

Ligety said he's doing what he can: He just bought a new fuel-efficient furnace and will travel in a hybrid vehicle instead of a gas guzzler whenever he can. "Little things like that can definitely help," he said.

Ligety said he believes the sport is in grave danger, especially in Europe, where the races are held at lower elevations. He said ski domes that are becoming popular in Europe aren't any kind of answer. The Snowboard World Cup annually opens in a ski dome in The Netherlands, and there's been talk about staging slaloms indoors, as well.

"I definitely never want it to replace skiing outdoors because the best thing about skiing is it's outdoors, near the mountains," Ligety said.

The skiers' concerns, however, aren't universal among America's winter athletes.

Zach Lund of the U.S. World Cup Skeleton Team, which is preparing to start the season Thursday in Calgary, noted that several training runs have been canceled by extremely cold weather this week.

"Right now I could go for some global warming up here," Lund said.

"I am concerned about global warming," he added, "but I've never thought about it in the context of my sport."

Because of good snowfalls in North America, ski officials are working with organizers in Aspen and Beaver Creek to hold some of the abandoned events in Colorado. A decision is expected Wednesday after the governing body decides whether to proceed with the men's race in Val d'Isere.