Dybvig Sets Own Goals
Advice
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Salt Lake City, UT, Oct. 26, 2001–The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association’s oft-spoken goal of 10 medals at the 2002 Winter Games does not phase ’98Olympic moguls skier Evan Dybvig (Plainfield, VT), who hopes he can do his part. He and his teammates agree the Olympic course at Deer Valley will be one of the all-time best.
The newest father from USSA (wife Sarah delivered son Owen Ireland Dybvig, a nine-pounder, on Sept. 15), Dybvig-who’s been second in World Cup moguls events the last two seasons at Deer Valley, the Olympic moguls venue-said he planned to retire at the end of the season. He also expects to eventually need ligament reconstruction in his left knee, but he’s come up with a training program toget him through this season.
On the second day of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s traditional pre-Olympic Media Summit, Dybig, 26, said, “I know the Ski Team has set goals for numbers of medals, but that’s kind of removed from me…my goal is to medal. Every athlete’s goal is to medal.
“The Ski Team’s giving us great support, and it’s getting better and better,” he said. But, he went on, “That doesn’t change anything I’m gonna do. I hope we do earn 10 medals. It’d be great for the U.S., but it doesn’t change my game plan. My game plan is to go out and ski my best-and, hopefully, I’ll be contributing to that goal.”
He echoed two-time World Cup champion Ann Battelle (Steamboat Springs, CO), who described the Deer Valley course as “awesome” because of its steepness and length. “It’s a great course,” Battelle said.
Said Dybvig: “The course at Deer Valley is an amazing course. It’s long, steep and difficult. They’re building the moguls in a way that makes it more challenging. They’re adding rhythm changes. Nobody’s ever cared for a course the way they’re caring for it. And the site is perfect. Everything about it is really great.”
With back-to-back second-place World Cup finishes in the Gateway Classic last season and January 2000, Dybvig said there’s a mixed blessing. The results give him confidence but, understandably, they also increase pressure for him to have another podium performance at the Olympics.
“I hope it works in my favor. As long as I don’t put too many expectations on myself, just stay focused on what it is that I want to get accomplished,” he said, “I should be fine. As long as I don’t buy into that ‘Hey, you’ve done great. You should do great’ and have that expectation, then I think I’ll be fine.”