Middlebury Presense Strong in Winter Olympics Former Students Compete With International Field

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

On the world stage of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, tiny Middlebury College can claim three of the world-class athletes as its own. Just three years ago Andrew Johnson was skating along at Bread Loaf for the nordic ski team while Hedda Berntsen was scorching down the slopes for the alpine team. Just a few years before that Ann Battelle was developing into a four-time Olympian while studying here at Middlebury. The common thread is that their Olympic dreams came, developed and passed through Middlebury on their way to success.

Ann Battelle (United States)
Battelle is a veteran of the United States freestyle team, competing in the mogul event. She started her Olympic career in 1992 and is now in her fourth Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake. She is a two-time World Cup champion and a World moguls champion in 1999. In 1989 Battelle finished her Middlebury career and went on to join the U.S. freestyle team. She played on the soccer team in her time at Middlebury, and as a child started as a nordic skier before switching to alpine later on. In the women's mogul competition in Salt Lake Battelle finished seventh. She is 34 years old and is from Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Andrew Johnson (United States)
Johnson left Middlebury in 1999 in order to pursue opportunities with the Olympic nordic ski team. He is in his first Olympic Games, and at the age of 24 already has a U.S. team best 22nd place finish in the 30 kilometer cross country race. From 1997 to 1999, Johnson was a three time All-American with the Middlebury nordic ski team. Coach Terry Aldrich said of his former star, "[Andrew] has a lot of talent but he also has all the tools, motivation and focus he needs to succeed."

Hedda Berntsen (Norway)
Until 1999 Berntsen was a member of the Middlebury alpine ski team for which she was a dominant force. The 25-year-old native Norwegian never graduated from Middlebury but after three fruitful years decided to try her luck on the FIS World Cup circuit. Berntsen has not had to rely on luck, though, as her skill has placed her as Norway's top slalom skier. Her role on one of the premier ski teams in the world is crucial as she will take to the snow in the slalom Feb. 20. Last year at the World Championships in St. Anton, Austria, Berntsen skied to a bronze medal in the slalom and hasn't slowed down since.