New Hampshire is sending nine athletes to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a mix of veteran Olympians and newcomers.
Alpine skier Bode Miller, one of the most recognizable names in U.S. Olympic history and a dominating presence on the men’s scene since 1998, will compete in his fifth Winter Olympics, where he’ll try to add another medal to the five he’s already captured. He won gold, silver and bronze in 2010 in Vancouver and two silvers in 2002 in Salt Lake City. A native of Easton, the 36-year-old Miller is expected to ski in the downhill, Super-G, giant slalom and super combined, all held at the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort.
Another veteran, Kris Freeman, is on the cross-country team in his fourth games. Freeman is a 16-time national champion in distances from 10 kilometers to 50 kilometers. The 33-year-old Thornton resident was added to the team in late January after being dropped from the squad last spring. He trained and competed without funding to make this year’s team. Freeman’s best individual finish at an Olympics was 14th place in the 10/10 kilometer pursuit in 2002. He also was part of the U.S. team that took fifth place that year in the 4-by-10 kilometer relay.
Joining Miller on the alpine team are Julia Ford, of Holderness, and Leanne Smith, of North Conway.
Ford, 23, was the U.S. downhill champion in 2011 and 2012. She’s competing in her first Olympic Games. Her events are still to be determined.
The 26-year-old Smith, who will compete in the Super-G, was the 2010 U.S. downhill champ and finished 19th in the super-G in 2010. She was also 21st in the women’s combined that year.
Sean Doherty, at 18, is the youngest member of the biathlon team. He makes his first Olympics appearance in the event, which has competitors cross-country skiing and shooting at targets. The Center Conway native won gold and two silvers in the 2013 IBU Junior World Championships, the first US biathlete to triple podium at any World Championship event. He’s got a full slate of events scheduled: sprint, pursuit, individual, mass start, relay and mixed relay.
Andover’s Nick Fairall also makes his Olympic debut. The 24-year-old ski jumper was third at U.S. Nationals in 2010. He’s scheduled to compete in the individual normal and large hill events and the team large hill.
Nick Alexander, 25, will also be soaring through the Sochi air in the same three ski jumping events. It’s the second games for Alexander, of Lebanon. He tied for 41st at Vancouver in the normal hill individual event.
Freestyler Julia Krass cut her teeth at Whaleback Mountain in Enfield at the age of 2. The 16-year-old Hanover resident will compete in slopestyle skiing. It’s the first Olympics for Krass and the first for slopestyle, which features tricks and jumps along a course dotted with ramps and rails.
Chas Guldemond, a gold-medal-winning X Games veteran, makes his Olympic debut in Sochi in slopestyle for snowboard. The 26-year-old from Laconia was the U.S. Open bronze medalist in 2013.
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