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American Morning

Speaking with America's Snowboarding Gold Medalist, Kelly Clark

Aired February 11, 2002 - 08:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: We have been telling you all morning long about America's first golden girl of the Salt Lake City Winter Games. 18-year-old snowboarder Kelly Clark took the gold in the Women's Half Pipe. She flew higher and did more dangerous tricks then her competitors. And her winning performance came on the final run of the day.

Kelly Clark joins us now from Salt Lake City. Congratulations.

KELLY CLARK, OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, WOMEN'S HALF PIPE: Thank you very much.

ZAHN: Has the shock worn off yet?

CLARK: No, it really hasn't set in yet. I'm still in shock. I haven't really realized it yet. It's really amazing.

ZAHN: What is so amazing to me is that you took a pretty bad fall at a practice run three days before your Olympic run. And I heard you describe it as sitting there, lying, looking at the sky, wondering if you'd be even able to compete. Take us through the fear factor there, and how you got yourself back together and -- to win a gold?

CLARK: Well, I fell on the third day of practice. And I just did a McTwist, and I hit the deck and I fell straight to the flat bottom, right on my tailbone. And it was just amazingly sore. I had to get it x-rayed to make sure it wasn't broken and everything. And I didn't ride for one day, and then I came back the day before the contest. And I just did straight airs. I didn't even do any tricks the day before the contest, which -- I don't know -- it was a little bit nerve-wracking, but I knew I could land my tricks. And I knew -- when it came down to it -- I knew what I had to do.

And I think that the crowd had a lot to say in my endurance, and just how psyched they made me, trying to forget about -- that I was actually hurt yesterday. So it paid off. It was really amazing. I'm glad I could actually pull it through after something like that.

ZAHN: So you couldn't completely erase it from your head? That, no doubt, had to be somewhere in your mind, as nice as that crowd was that was cheering you on. CLARK: Yes, I mean, it's definitely -- it's definitely in the back of your mind. But, I mean, you're at the Olympics, and you really have to go for it if you want it. So, you kind of got to forget about your pain for just one day.

ZAHN: How much were you focused on the fact that if you won a gold medal you would, in fact, be the first U.S. Olympic athlete, in these games, to win a gold medal?

CLARK: I actually -- I didn't even realize it until I had actually won the gold medal that I was the first U.S. athlete to win a gold medal. I knew that I'm the first U.S. snowboarder ever to win a gold medal, just because snowboarding's a new sport.

ZAHN: You know, we have a bunch of graphics on the bottom of the screen, so I can't even tell. Are you wearing the medal this morning?

CLARK: Is that what?

ZAHN: Do you have the medal on this morning?

CLARK: Yes, I do.

ZAHN: Can we see it?

CLARK: Sure.

ZAHN: Don't be so modest there, Kelly!

CLARK: It's cold out here.

ZAHN: Take it out! Show it off!

CLARK: That's it.

ZAHN: Oh, that is absolutely magnificent!

CLARK: Yeah. It's really great. And the back's really great, too.

ZAHN: We're going to try to tighten up the shot there so we can see it. Where do you plan to put it? I know Dan Jansen kept his in his kitchen for a while. Bonnie Blair kept hers in a cabinet in her living room. Where are you going to park that baby?

CLARK: I have an autographed picture of Britney Spears that says "Rip it up, Kelly." And that's hanging on my wall in my apartment. I'll probably put this on that same wall.

ZAHN: Tell us a little bit about the strides snowboarders have made since the last Olympics. I remember how controversial it was in Nagano, when snowboarders competed for the first time at the Olympic level. What has happened since then, to the sport?

CLARK: Snowboarding is one of the fastest growing sports out there right now. It's really getting popular, especially with the younger people. And it's good to have the snowboarding in the Olympics, especially in the U.S. right now, because a lot of people can see it, and especially to have a U.S. person win a gold medal, it's going to say a lot. I think it will popularize the sport quite a bit.

ZAHN: Now, before we let you go. What's the toughest thing you have to do when you're going through your maneuvers there? How high are you off the ground at any given time?

CLARK: Some of my airs are about 10 feet, and I think the pipe's about -- ranges from 15 to 18 feet. So, I guess from where I am to the flat bottom, is about 28 feet or so.

ZAHN: It must be pretty darn boring when you have to walk on ground, huh?

CLARK: Yes, it's pretty scary at some times, but you have to be confident in yourself and hopefully you'll pull it together.

ZAHN: Well, you've introduced us to a whole new language that we have to learn in the sport. And, we again congratulate you on your great feat. Keep it coming. And we look forward to seeing you -- do you plan to compete in the Olympics again? You're so young, you're only 18.

CLARK: Yes, hopefully I'll get another few in.

ZAHN: We're counting it down to the next time we get to see you in the Olympics. Kelly Clark, again, congratulations. Thanks for your time this morning.

CLARK: Thank you.

ZAHN: Jack?

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: That's a great kid.

ZAHN: Isn't she great?

CAFFERTY: Oh, yes, the best.

ZAHN: Can you imagine, though? She was injured, thinking that she might not even be able to compete, just three days before she took home the gold. Extraordinary.

CAFFERTY: Courage is very much a part of that Olympic equation, I guess.

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