The Associated Press
Tristan Gale (right) displays her gold medal as U.S. teammate Jim Shea bites his gold medal during a medal ceremony for the men's and women's skeleton competitions on Wednesday.

United States dominates on skeleton track

THE BALTIMORE SUN

Originally published Thursday, February 21, 2002

PARK CITY, Utah -- Welcome back, skeleton. What took you so long?

Before a rocking crowd of 15,000 at Utah Olympic Park, Jim Shea Jr. won the gold medal Wednesday in an event that had been on the Olympic shelves for 54 years.

Clearly the sentimental favorite among fans and athletes, Shea had dedicated the race to his grandfather. Jack Shea, the double-gold-medal speed skater at the 1932 Winter Games, died hours after his car was struck by a suspected drunken driver on Jan. 21.

Jim Shea's storybook finish threatened to overshadow the women's race. But the crowd roared its approval when Americans Tristan Gale and Lea Ann Parsley finished one and two, with the top slider in the world, Alex Coomber of Great Britain, in third place.

The venue in Bear Hollow looked like a snow globe scene, with white flakes swirling everywhere.

The spectators did their best imitation of Green Bay Packers fans, as shirtless men wore "U-S-A" painted on their chests in red, white and blue stars.

The grandstand rattled as Shea crossed the finish line and rose to his knees in triumph. Standing in the track, he fumbled with his helmet and pulled out his grandfather's funeral card, which he held overhead.

"My grandpa was with me the whole way," said Shea, his body shaking. "The Olympics mean more to me than the gold medal, and now that I have one I can say that."

Shea's father, 1964 Olympic nordic skier Jim Shea Sr., trembled, his eyes filling with tears.

"This is a special day. It's just phenomenal. My father? He would have cried," the senior Shea said.

The Sheas are only three-generation American Olympic family.

Silver medalist Martin Rettl of Austria and bronze medalist Gregor Staehli of Switzerland quickly surrounded Shea and embraced him.

"You can't describe the feeling of being together with Jim Shea on the podium," Rettl said.

Shea's two-run time was 1 minute, 41.96 seconds, .05 ahead of Rettl and .19 ahead of Staehli, the overall World Cup champion.

"I felt him here today and at the opening ceremony," Shea, 33, said of his grandfather. "I think he had some unfinished business before he went to heaven. Now, I think he can go."

This was the first time women had been allowed to compete, and they didn't disappoint the crowd with their performance or their emotions.

After the first run, it was Gale, Parsley and Coomber, with just .01 separating the top two and .21 separating Parsley and Coomber.

During the second run, the snow came down harder and slowed track conditions even more.

Coomber went first and could not pick up any time on the leader.

Neither could Parsley, Ohio's 1999 Firefighter of the Year, who wore a crash helmet with flames leaping from the visor.

Gale, 21, could coax only 76.8 mph out of her sled -- the fourth-best time -- but her first run carried the day. She was hoisted off her sled by Parsley and danced around the finish line.

Parsley, 33, said she wasn't disappointed with the silver medal. "I don't care what color it is," she said. "I was happy for Tristan."

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