Skeleton Sport

The U.S. won gold medals in men's and women's skeleton in 2002 when the sport was revived for the Salt Lake City Games, but Katie Uhlaender of Breckenridge, Colo., isn't expected to beat out favorites Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards of Canada and Maya Pedersen of Switzerland. The U.S.

Amy Williams tamed the Whistler track over two nights to win the women's skeleton competition and become the first Winter Olympian in 30 years to earn a gold medal for Britain. However, Williams, who survived a protest Thursday by the U.S. team over the shape of her helmet, faces a second challenge from the Canadians, who also claim that the grooves -- spoilers -- do not conform to international-federation standards. The International Federation of Bobsleigh and Skeleton (FIBT)

Americans might not understand the inner workings of skeleton, but they embraced the sport four years ago in Salt Lake City. It was fast, bordering on insane. It looked cool on television. And the U.S. won the men's and women's gold medals. Four years later, the sport could be tilted back toward obscurity in America. The U.S. coach didn't make it to Italy, fired two weeks ago after allegations of sexual harassment. The top U.S.

Zach Lund has grown. His hair has not. The two are related. This should be Lund's second Olympics as a member of the U.S. skeleton team. Instead, he's a rookie with a lot to prove. Four years ago, when he was at the top of his game -- ranked No. 1 in the world -- he was banned from the Turin Games for using finasteride, a drug that fights baldness but also was thought to be a steroid-masking agent. Its use was legal until 2005, then banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Lund insisted he never knew about the switch.

MEN'S SINGLES * Where: Cesana Pariol. * When: Feb. 17. * Best of the U.S.: Eric Bernotas of Avondale, Pa., finished third in the season's World Cup standings with 390 points. Teammate Kevin Ellis of Dallas was fourth, with 365 points. * Best of the rest: Jeff Pain of Canada won three of the last four World Cup races and his second successive World Cup title. He's also the world champion. Gregor Staehli of Switzerland, the 2002 silver medalist, was the World Cup runner-up. * U.S.

Pulling a 95-pound sled, you bound alongside the track, gaining speed. All at once you dive headfirst onto your sled. Down you go, chin hanging off, nose inches from the ice. You whoosh down the slick, mile-long course at 85 mph, sounding like an accelerating jet plane. You confront G-force winds on 15 to 20 grueling turns, hoping to high heaven that your neck muscles can keep your head held up.

An arbitrator Monday found no evidence to substantiate claims of sexual harassment leveled at U.S. skeleton Coach Tim Nardiello. But U.S. Olympic officials said it remained uncertain whether he will coach at next month's Turin Olympics. Meanwhile, the top U.S. men's skeleton racer, Zach Lund, was issued a public warning but not suspended by U.S. anti-doping officials over a failed drug test linked to a hair-restoration potion.

Zach Lund has grown. His hair has not. The two are related. This should be Lund's second Olympics as a member of the U.S. skeleton team. Instead, he's a rookie with a lot to prove. Four years ago, when he was at the top of his game -- ranked No. 1 in the world -- he was banned from the Turin Games for using finasteride, a drug that fights baldness but also was thought to be a steroid-masking agent. Its use was legal until 2005, then banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Lund insisted he never knew about the switch.

Noelle Pikus-Pace liked bobsledding, but she'll never forget her first venture at skeleton, not quite five years ago. "I kind of got suckered into it," she said. "My coach showed me this little cookie sheet and put a helmet on my head without telling me what it was. He told me to pick my feet up, and that was it. "It was halfway down the track, but I was screaming the whole time." On Friday, she shrieked for joy, as she became the first U.S. woman to win the World Cup skeleton title.

In the latest turn in a melodrama gripping one of the United States' Olympic winter sports federations, the national governing body for bobsled and skeleton has fired U.S. skeleton coach Tim Nardiello, contending he ignored orders to keep his distance during final Olympic tuneups. The U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation sent the letter of dismissal by e-mail Friday to Nardiello. He was in St. Moritz, Switzerland, one of the world's classic bases for sliding sports, where the four U.S.

What would an Olympics be without a controversy in the sliding sports? For such relatively tiny sports that joined the Winter Games fairly recently, luge, a 1964 arrival, and skeleton, a 2002 addition, always manage to create a good headline or two. For some reason, bobsled -- in all three of its configurations -- has managed to keep a low profile in recent years, the exception being the messy and public breakup of the U.S. women's bobsled...

She wears her father's World Series ring around her neck and his initials on her custom-made sneakers. Even as he was dying of cancer 18 months ago, Ted Uhlaender was coaching his daughter, Katie, on life and on giving the sport of skeleton her all. The former major league outfielder who played for three teams, "had a Gran Torino way of looking at things, where actions mean more than words," said Katie, 25, referring to the Clint Eastwood movie....

Americans might not understand the inner workings of skeleton, but they embraced the sport four years ago in Salt Lake City. It was fast, bordering on insane. It looked cool on television. And the U.S. won the men's and women's gold medals. Four years later, the sport could be tilted back toward obscurity in America. The U.S. coach didn't make it to Italy, fired two weeks ago after allegations of sexual harassment. The top U.S.

The U.S. won gold medals in men's and women's skeleton in 2002 when the sport was revived for the Salt Lake City Games, but Katie Uhlaender of Breckenridge, Colo., isn't expected to beat out favorites Mellisa Hollingsworth-Richards of Canada and Maya Pedersen of Switzerland. The U.S.

Only hours before the opening ceremony, Zach Lund, the top U.S. skeleton racer, was ruled out of the 2006 Olympic Games on Friday because he had used an anti-baldness product with a substance that can be used to mask steroid use. The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a one-year ban. Lund, 26, of Salt Lake City, tested positive at a World Cup race in Calgary in November.

MEN'S SINGLES * Where: Cesana Pariol. * When: Feb. 17. * Best of the U.S.: Eric Bernotas of Avondale, Pa., finished third in the season's World Cup standings with 390 points. Teammate Kevin Ellis of Dallas was fourth, with 365 points. * Best of the rest: Jeff Pain of Canada won three of the last four World Cup races and his second successive World Cup title. He's also the world champion. Gregor Staehli of Switzerland, the 2002 silver medalist, was the World Cup runner-up. * U.S.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the Olympic eligibility of U.S. skeleton racer Zach Lund. Lund was publicly warned but not suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Jan. 23 after testing positive for finasteride -- a banned steroid-masking agent -- in November. The USADA's warning made him eligible to compete at the Turin Games, which open Feb. 10.

Only hours before the opening ceremony, Zach Lund, the top U.S. skeleton racer, was ruled out of the 2006 Olympic Games on Friday because he had used an anti-baldness product with a substance that can be used to mask steroid use. The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) issued a one-year ban. Lund, 26, of Salt Lake City, tested positive at a World Cup race in Calgary in November.

In the latest turn in a melodrama gripping one of the United States' Olympic winter sports federations, the national governing body for bobsled and skeleton has fired U.S. skeleton coach Tim Nardiello, contending he ignored orders to keep his distance during final Olympic tuneups. The U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation sent the letter of dismissal by e-mail Friday to Nardiello. He was in St. Moritz, Switzerland, one of the world's classic bases for sliding sports, where the four U.S.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the Olympic eligibility of U.S. skeleton racer Zach Lund. Lund was publicly warned but not suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on Jan. 23 after testing positive for finasteride -- a banned steroid-masking agent -- in November. The USADA's warning made him eligible to compete at the Turin Games, which open Feb. 10.