Austria’s Benjamin Raich, a heavy favorite, likely will prove that fast and steady wins the race. He just missed a medal in the event in 2002, placing fourth. (Getty Images)
With its high-stakes, high-speed events over for this Olympic year, Alpine skiing moves on to its technical events. The giant slalom tests agility and control, with 56 to 70 gates on the men's course. The gates are placed closer together than they are for the downhill or Super-G. But the gates are farther apart than they are for the slalom, which concludes the Alpine competition on Saturday.
The giant slalom race consists of two runs -- one in the morning, one in early afternoon. Both runs are on the same slope, but over different courses. Medals are awarded according to the fastest combined time.
While some rare talents excel at all disciplines (American Bode Miller intends to compete in all five Olympic events and won silver in the giant slalom in 2002), a different set of skiers can be expected to excel at the technical events.
The oldest member of the U.S. team, three-time Olympian Erik Schlopy, 33, is a technical specialist and won bronze in the giant slalom at the 2003 world championships. Married to former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, Schlopy wants to add another Olympic medal to the family trophy case before retiring. First-time Olympian Ted Ligety of Park City, Utah, who is the youngest member of the team at 21, is another American worth watching.
But all eyes will be on Austria's Benjamin Raich, 27, who arrives in Turin atop the World Cup standings in the giant slalom. Raich's skiing is as steady and consistent as Miller's is daring and unpredictable. Italy's Max Blardone, skiing before a home crowd, is another favorite to end up on the podium.
OLD HAND
Vonetta FlowersUnited States
Women's bobsled
Flowers made history in 2002, becoming the first African American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. The former Alabama-Birmingham track star won gold as brakeman of USA 2 with driver Jill Bakken. The more heralded USA 1 finished fifth. After taking time off after the birth of her twin boys, Flowers, 32, returned to the sport to find Bakken taking a break of her own. So she paired up with Jean Prahm, who was known as Jean Racine in 2002 when she was the driver of USA 1.
NEW FACE
Jeret PetersonUnited States
Freestyle skiing
Men's aerials
Peterson won't attempt his signature "Hurricane" in today's qualifying. He'll try something a tad safer to ensure a spot in the finals. But the 24-year-old of native of Boise, Idaho, will become a freestyle skiing sensation if he lands the toughest trick in aerials -- three flips and five twists -- which he named the "Hurricane." Peterson slipped into the 2002 Olympics in place of injured teammate Emily Cook and finished ninth. In 2006 he wants nothing less than gold.