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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview with Nikki Stone

Aired February 17, 2002 - 10:18   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.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: Aerial competition in freestyle skiing -- it's scheduled for tomorrow and joining us now from Park City, Utah is Nikki Stone. She was the gold medalist at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Thanks a lot for joining us. Nikki, you know, we've all been talking about this, this morning, watching some of the videotape and asking, are you people nuts who do this?

NIKKI STONE, 1998 GOLD MEDAL WINNER: No I don't think we're crazy, although I'm feeling crazy because I've spent so much time out here doing so many things. I'm spending time with the families of the AT&T Family Program here. I'm doing a lot of corporate hospitality, athlete mentoring, working with charity programs like Olympic Aid and of course rooting on all my teammates out there.

MESERVE: And how do the prospects look for the U.S. team? I know we got the gold in '98. You won the women's. We also won in the men's. How about today? What does it look (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this game rather?

STONE: It really looks great. Unfortunately though, women that we had hoped to do well for America didn't make it to finals, but the men, all four of our men made it in finals, and really any one of them has a chance to be on top of that podium.

MESERVE: OK, we're looking at some pictures right now of some of the competitors. Tell us about some of the men who are competing.

STONE: There are a lot of great men, a lot of the foreigners, the Belarus (ph) are strong. The Russians are strong. The Canadians are strong. But really look for those Americans, Eric Bergoust and Joe Pack finished in the top three and expect them to stay in the top three and there's also a chance that Jarrett Teterson (ph) and Brian Currutt could also make it on top of that podium. It's going to be a great contest. The men are actually going to be doing four twists within three flips, and you might see from one of the gentlemen five twists within three flips , a man from the Czech Republic. So it's going to be an exciting contest.

MESERVE: Five twists, this is a new trick never before seen in Olympic competition I gather?

STONE: Yes, no man has ever done it before this year and only one man has done it, and if you see this contest in person, these people are going 50 to 55 feet in the air. It's like a five-story building, and you're looking up, you're seeing them shoot high in the air and it really is an exhilarating sport even to be a spectator at.

MESERVE: But you must get injured. What part of your body gets it worse? Is it your back, your knees?

STONE: I actually had a back injury and believe it or not, it wasn't from crashes. It was from the compression over time. The speeding and beating and landing and landing and I had an injury to two of my lower disks and doctors told me I'd never ski again. And this was before the last Olympics, so to even come back and compete was a challenge, and to come back and win was a thrill of a lifetime.

MESERVE: Does it eat you up a little bit that you're not out there competing this year?

STONE: It's definitely difficult. You know being in the United States and seeing these athletes (UNINTELLIGIBLE) go out and stand on top of the podium, seeing the American flag, especially after such a hard time the country's gone through, to be able to stand on top of the hill, see all the American flags raising, it must be absolutely amazing. But really it's just as exciting for me, a lot of these athletes are friends. So not only am I out there cheering them on, but I'm also nervous when they get out there to compete.

MESERVE: You know I went to a college where skiing was the big sport and there were definitely different personality sports for different events. The cross-country skies were sort of granola eating and then you know they were a little edgier when they did the downhill. The jumpers were nuts. What personality traits does it take to do this?

STONE: Well actually there's a lot of personalities. I don't think you could peg just one person. Eric Bergoust is a very unique individual. He lives, breathes is freestyle. He will go home and he'll study the video after he's done it all day. Joe Pack is a little more relaxed. He'll go out, he'll have some fun, but he's still out there training hard. And all these individuals, there are so many different personalities. I don't think you could peg one individual.

MESERVE: OK. Nikki Stone, thanks so much. That competition coming up tomorrow. We'll be watching and now we'll know a little bit more about it.

MILES O'BRIEN: Yes. Boy, you know I was just -- she's got a big neck.

MESERVE: Well ...

(CROSSTALK)

MESERVE: ... she's an athlete.

O'BRIEN: In other words she can take me.

MESERVE: OK, Miles.

O'BRIEN: Let's not go there. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com