Our series continues this week with a look at how winter athletes are chosen for the U.S. Olympic team. The competition is fierce. Athletes who train together often become competitors. There’s a set of guidelines athletes must meet to grab one of a handful of open spots in each event, whether it’s cross-country team sprint, snowboard half-pipe or alpine super-G. Aspen Public Radio's Marci Krivonen talked to Tom Kelly with the United States Ski and Snowboard Association, or USSA, about the process.
The organization will name the Olympic teams in mid to late January, right before the Olympic Games begin in Sochi, Russia on February 7th.