This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake City's Jared Goldberg might have punched his ticket to the Sochi Olympics on Saturday, when the up-and-coming ski racer finished a career-best 12th at the famous Lauberhorn downhill World Cup race in Switzerland.
"This is my second year here, and I've been down it a few more times and I just feel really comfortable on this hill," he said. "I was able to really do for it."
Two-time Olympian Marco Sullivan, who also lives in Salt Lake City, strengthened his case for the Olympics, too, by finishing a season-high 16th. Both men were behind four-time Olympian Bode Miller, who finished fifth and again proved that he could be a serious medal threat in Sochi.
The U.S. Ski Team will name its team for Sochi on Jan. 26.
"I am extremely proud of two other guys, Goldberg and Marco Sullivan," coach Sasha Rearick said.
Even under poor conditions - extreme winds forced the shortening of the course, on which lower portions were frozen and rutty - Goldberg and Sullivan "put the hammer down on the course top to bottom and did a great, great job," Rearick said. "I'm really proud of those guys, Marco with his experience, and Goldberg with being a young guy taking some chances and really pushing it."
A Skyline High School graduate, Goldberg already was coming off a 20th-place finish in the super-combined that Park City's Ted Ligety won on Friday, and has one more chance to impress the coaches, at the final World Cup stop before Olympic teams are named next weekend in Kitzbuhel, Austria.
"I wasn't trying to think about it too much coming in, because this year has been just a good learning year for me being my first full year on the World Cup," he said. "But after yesterday I was psyched. … I'm hoping I can" make it to Sochi.