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Shea, Gale win in skeleton for U.S.
By Joe Bauman
Deseret News staff writer
UTAH OLYMPIC PARK — Skeleton moved out of obscurity into the spotlight Wednesday when Americans won two gold medals and one silver, but the story from Olympic Park was about more than Olympic gold.
The medals did kick off an American gold rush and medals haul like no other in U.S. Winter Olympics history — three golds, a silver and a bronze by the end of the day for a 2002 total of 26 medals and counting.
The excitement was volcanic when Jim Shea Jr. of Lake Placid, N.Y., took the gold in men's singles. Not only is he the first third-generation Olympian, but less than a month ago, his grandfather, Jack Shea — who won two gold medals in 1932 — died after an auto wreck. It capped a command performance by Jim Shea, who had pronounced the Olympic oath and carried the Olympic torch during the Feb. 8 opening ceremonies.
Jack Shea had had his heart set on joining Jim Jr. and Jim Sr. (who was in the 1964 and 1972 Winter Olympics) at the Salt Lake Games.
"I definitely felt him here today," Shea said after winning. "I definitely felt him at the opening ceremony. . . .
"He has a lot of friends here. I think he had some unfinished business before he went up to heaven, and I think now he can go," added Shea, who wore one of his grandfather's skating medals from the 1920s when he received his skeleton gold in ceremonies Wednesday night at the Olympic Medals Plaza in downtown Salt Lake City.
Shea bested Martin Rettl, Austria, by just 0.05 of a second, with a cumulative time of 1:41.96 in two heats. For most of his final run, Shea seemed destined for the silver, but on the last stretch he seemed to get the feel of the track, and his relaxed driving style suddenly swept him ahead.
Pandemonium erupted. The sold-out crowd of 15,000 screamed and chanted, "USA! USA!" While Shea celebrated at the finish line, the chant changed to "Jimmy Shea! Jimmy Shea!"
He pulled his grandfather's funeral photo from his helmet and held it high in the air as the crowd roared. He walked along the track's side wall, waving to frantic spectators.
The day was even more historic for women's sports as it was the first time women have competed in an Olympic skeleton event. Thirteen teams from 10 countries raced.
Tristan Gale, Salt Lake City's spunky 21-year-old skeletoneer, won the gold, beating second-place Lea Ann Parsley of Granville, Ohio, by 0.10 of a second over two heats. Gale's overall time was 1:45.11.
"It's fabulous," Gale said of her win.
A 1999 graduate of Brighton High School, she said she had been worried about the snow that fell throughout the event, especially heavily during the first heat, because it can slow a sled.
"It worried me, too," said Parsley, a firefighter and a nurse, "because the push is probably my weakest part of the race and in much snow, then it becomes even more significant." But she said the track staff did a great job in clearing the snow.
Parsley competed with a torn hamstring. "It's been pretty sore, but . . . adrenaline's the No. 1 painkiller."
Bronze for the women went to Alex Coomber, Great Britain, at 1:45.37.
Coomber said she arrived at the track at 7:30 a.m., 1 1/2 hours before racing began. By then the stands already were "absolutely chock-up full of spectators, and that totally took me aback.
"I was like, 'Blimey . . . what's it going to be like once the race has started?"
Men's bronze went to Gregor Staehli, Switzerland, at 1:42.15. Lincoln DeWitt, Park City, and Chris Soule of Trumbull, Conn., finished in fifth and seventh places, respectively.
The only previous Winter Games to feature skeleton, a dangerous event where competitors slide on small sleds at speeds near 80 mph, were in 1928 and 1948.
The skeleton racing community is close-knit, with many of the competitors remaining good friends. In both men's and women's events, the winners were glad for each other.
Coomber made her last run immediately before Gale. The Salt Lake woman said when she realized that Coomber had won a medal, she was so overcome with emotion on her behalf, "I started crying." Then she realized she had to get control and make her own run.
E-MAIL: bau@desnews.com
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February 21, 2002
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