Freestyle skiers were some of the last American athletes to find out whether they were Vancouver-bound this season. After the long wait, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association President and CEO Bill Marolt, the U.S. Olympic Committee and Team, and Visa announced the official Olympic roster at Utah's Deer Valley Resort today.
Hannah Kearney, the 2009 World Cup champ, will lead an exceptionally strong women's moguls team with Heather McPhie, Shannon Bahrke, and Michelle Roarke, all of whom snagged World Cup medals this year. Patrick Deneen, also the 2009 World Cup champ, will lead Bryon Wilson, Nate Roberts, and Michael Morse on the men's moguls' team.
Olympian Jeret “Speedy” Peterson and newbie Lacy Schnoor are heading the aerials teams with a mix of newcomers and Olympic veterans: Matt DePeters, Dylan Ferguson, world champion Ryan St. Onge, Ashley Caldwell, Emily Cook, and Jana Lindsey.
Former alpine-ski racers Casey Puckett and Daron Rahlves, who together have seven Olympic Games under their belts, will represent the U.S. in the Olympic debut of ski cross. It's a remarkably strong team with a lot of medal contenders, which will make watching freestyle events pretty interesting for those rooting for the U.S. of A.
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