Turin, Italy 2006 Winter Olympic Games

Olympic Alpine Skiing Analysis

SESTRIERE, Italy – After a week full of disappointment for the U.S. ski team, 21-year-old Julia Mancuso delivered an inspiring gold-medal performance in the women's giant slalom.

Mancuso has shared some of the blame here for the failures of the American team. She has been criticized for not taking her career seriously and letting her talent slip away without a care. Recently, she was called out by former Olympic champion Picabo Street, who told her to grow up, ditch the tiara (which she often wears as a good-luck charm over her helmet) and take things more seriously.

Apparently, she listened. She showed up Friday without her tiara and with the will to win. Ironically, Mancuso is now the first American woman to win an Alpine gold since Street did at the 1998 Nagano games.

In tough conditions, Mancuso's aggressive skiing gave her the lead after the first run. On her second run, she brought it home with authority.

Mancuso appeared eager for speed in her first run. She was in her tuck early coming off of the steeps, which gave her good momentum to carry into the flats. It was clear from the start that she was attacking the course and challenging the line more than her competitors. Her risky strategy allowed her to carry enough speed through the turns and take the lead from Sweden's Anja Paerson.

Between runs, everyone questioned Mancuso's ability to handle the pressure and maintain the lead. After all, Mancuso had never led after the first run of a giant slalom and had just reached the World Cup podium a few weeks ago.

Although new to the situation, it seems Mancuso likes the big stage, which allows her to outperform expectations and record her best finishes at big events. She won bronze medals in the giant slalom and super-G at last year's world championships before ever reaching the World Cup podium.

That side of Mancuso came out here. Keeping her cool, she skied like a veteran in a second run that was even more impressive than the first. Many racers were caught off guard and had trouble with the technical course and poor visibility, including Mancuso's teammates Sarah Schleper and Stacey Cook.

But not Mancuso. Through fog and snowfall, she brilliantly battled the elements and stuck to her aggressive game plan while most of her challengers skied conservatively.

Mancuso performed as if she had been in the hot seat before and never flinched during her run, beating Finland's Tanja Poutiainen by .67 seconds. Sweden's Anno Ottosson finished with the bronze.

After succeeding at every level of competition growing up, Mancuso was known as a skier full of potential. Her gold here gives her the achievement to match the expectations and gives the world a glimpse of what's to come in the future.

Updated on Friday, Feb 24, 2006 11:40 am, EST

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