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Justin Wadsworth
The first man to secure a spot on the Olympic cross country ski team is also the team's most experienced skier. Justin Wadworth is a two time Olympian whose 8th place finish last season was the best U.S. performance in almost 20 years.
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(Jan. 19, 2002)------ Confidence from a top ten finish is carrying Justin Wadsworth right into the games. Shelley Osterloh introduces us.
Justin Wadsworth is natural athlete. In addition to cross country skiing he also has competed at an elite level in rowing, in-line skating and cycling.
But cross country is his first love.
Justin Wadsworth/Olympic Cross Country Skier: BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A REAL CHALLENGE, IT'S PROBABLY THE HARDEST SPORT PHYSICALLY TO DO. AND IT'S A FUN SPORT. SKIING IS FUN, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE I GUESS. SKIING IS JUST A GREAT TIME.
This is Wadsworth's 8th year on the U.S. ski team, and for a couple of those years he was severely hampered by injures. But he's strong and healthy now. He and teammates Carl Swenson and Nina Kemppel have all jumped up in World Cup points.
Justin Wadsworth/Olympic Cross Country Skier: FOR SURE. WE'VE HAD A HARD TIME IN THE PAST BUT, UH, I WAS 8TH LAST YEAR, CARL WAS JUST 11TH IN THE WORLD CUP, NINA WAS IN THE TOP 20. A LOT OF THAT'S BEEN IN EUROPE. AND NOW WE'RE HOME AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO FIRE AWAY ON ALL CYLINDERS I THINK. EVERYONE IS REALLY EXCITED.
Wadsworth had his best World Cup finish on the Soldier Hollow course, and he won Cross Country Gold Cup in December on that same Olympic course.
This former University of Utah skier has trained on these hills in the summer and says he expects a real home town advantage.
Justin Wadsworth/Olympic Cross Country Skier: JUST THE CONFIDENCE YOU GET RACING AT HOME AND FEELING COMFORTABLE IS WORTH SO MUCH.
Wadsworth says his skiing has also been helped by his long relationship with Canadian star skier Beckie Scott.
Justin Wadsworth/Olympic Cross Country Skier: AND TO HAVE SOMEBODY LIKE BECKIE, IT REALLY HELPS WHEN THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL. AND WHEN THEY ARE GOING WELL IT HELPS, BECAUSE YOU CAN CELEBRATE TOGETHER. SO IT'S PRETTY SPECIAL, IT'S A UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE AND IT WORKS REALLY WELL.
That, combined with great health and home course comforts have given Wadsworth a calm confidence going into his third Olympic experience.
Justin Wadsworth/Olympic Cross Country Skier: I THINK ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GONNA REALLY ADD UP TO JUST BEING MORE RELAXED AND BEING MORE FOCUSED. AND ACTUALLY ENJOYING-- I PLAN TO SEE SOME OTHER EVENTS TOO AND TRY TO ENJOY MYSELF.
You've heard that athletes like to live high and train low, talking about altitude here. They do it to improve the oxygen carrying capacity of their blood.
Well, Wadsworth lives in Bend, Oregon. For the last year he's been sleeping in an oxygen depleted tent that covers his bed like a canopy. So it feels like he's sleeping at about 13-thousand feet.
The tent and generator cost about 55-hundred dollars and were purchased by the Canadian National Ski team for his girlfriend, Beckie Scott, who he lives with. And she's a medal contender.
